Identifying characteristics

• Workers are all the same size, 3/16-inch long
• Dark brown to black
• Petiole with 2 nodes
• Thorax uneven with 1 pair of spines
• Grooves on head and thorax
• 12-segmented antennae with 3-segmented club

Behavior

• Feed on honeydew, insects, sweets, fruit, and greasy foods
• Will feed on pet food both indoors and outdoors
• Trails seen going to and from food sources, most often at night
• Move in slow deliberate motion and are not easily disturbed
• May move through plumbing pipes and electrical wires
• Adjacent colonies fight, producing spectacular sidewalk “ant wars” in the spring

Nest type and size

• Nest in lawns or under stones, wood, or boards
• Mounds are built along sidewalks, baseboards, and near foundations in clusters
• Colonies tend to be found near water
• Usually one functional queen per colony