Other names for the black ant include the garden ant, the sugar ant, or the black tuft ant. It earned this name because it builds its nests in tufts, often next to rocks, pieces of wood, and similar objects.
A black ant colony consists of a queen and workers (sterile females without wings). Sexed individuals (winged males and females) develop at specific times and are therefore not constantly present. The male’s sole function is to mate. Mating takes place in the air on a warm, calm midsummer day. This is when people say the ants are swarming. Swarms of black ants can be very large. After mating, the male dies. The female bites off her wings and then seeks out a suitable spot in the ground to lay her eggs and start a new colony. Black ants are 2–4 millimeters long.
Tips for Avoiding Problems with Black Ants
As so many have discovered, it’s of little use to try to get rid of the problem by hunting down all the worker ants. Simple measures can reduce the risk of a black ant infestation:
- Keep an eye out for sweet spills—such as sugar, juice, and soda—or cookie crumbs in the kitchen, especially in the spring.
- Repair water leaks and remove moisture near the foundation of the house.
- Inspect, or repair, door trim and holes in the walls.
- Remove or trim any shrubs right next to the house that might harbor aphids, where they often gather in large numbers for protection.* Since aphids secrete a sweet liquid that black ants feed on, the ants thrive when there are large numbers of aphids.
- To get rid of the ants completely, you should try to locate the nest itself. The colony is usually found under tiles, rocks, and similar objects.
- If attempts to remove the nest fail, baiting may solve the problem. The principle behind baiting is to get as many ants as possible to carry the bait back to the colony so that the larvae—and especially the queen—are affected.
(source: Anticimex)
*If you feel this is a problem, please contact your building manager.