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 specifically manufactured for
The Thief ant nests both inside and outside and tends
Pharaoh ant control. [These bait
honeydew-producing insects.
stations can be placed in desks and
THE LITTLE FIRE ANT
used i n h o s p i t a l rooms and
laboratories.]
Wasmannia auropunctata
Use a mixture of liver extract (or
The Little Fire ant is less than 1/16 inch long
strained-liver baby food), angel food
with two nodes and two spines near the hind end of
cake and honey or syrup with a
the thorax. It is not shiny and is yellow to brown in
registered growth regulator or boric
color with a darker abdomen. The ant is established in
acid powder. This bait can be placed in
localities in Florida and California. It usually nests
small cups, screened vials or injected
out-of-doors, tends honeydew-producing insects, and
into cut drinking straws using a food
feeds on insects. This tiny ant can sting and sometimes
baster. Mix to a usable consistency.
infests bedding. It is not related to fire ants and does
Use a commercial preparation of mint
not make mounds.
apple jelly and boric acid; ingredients
can also be purchased separately and
mixed. Place the preparation on pieces
of masking tape for easy retrieval.
Apply sprays or dusts in cracks and
crevices when preferred. All potential
harborage near positive monitoring
locations should be treated thoroughly.
Follow-up
Reinspect by monitoring bait cups. When sprays
or dusts are used, or when colonies are disturbed by
SUMMARY
inspection or habitat alteration, colonies may move or
Ants are the dominant group of social insects.
split.
Their relatives are bees and wasps, some of which also
have social habits. All of these insects undergo
complete metamorphosis. Ants have three principal
castes: the female reproductives, the male
OTHER STRUCTURE-INFESTING TINY
reproductives, and female workers. Each caste has
ANTS
different tasks and behavior. Ants, being social, live in
THE LITTLE BLACK ANT
colonies. A single female starts the colony after being
Monomorium minimum
fertilized by males. Most of the offspring of this
This little ant is no more than 1/16 inch long; it
female (often called the queen) are also female and
has two nodes and is shiny black; the ant is widely
they do the work of the colony such as food gathering
distributed in the United States especially in the
and rearing the young (larvae and pupae). Many ants
northern and eastern States and southern Canada. It
tend insects that suck plant sap and produce a liquid
normally nests outdoors and tends honeydew-
that ants eat. Many species also have a broad diet,
producing insects.
feeding on other insects, sugars and greases; their
habits may change seasonally. Most ants have
THE THIEF ANT
subterranean colonies and do not enter buildings, but
Solenopsis molesta
some can live outside or set up their colonies inside.
Less than 1/16 inch long, the Thief ant has 2
One species, the Pharaoh ant lives inside almost
nodes and is shiny with a yellowish or slightly darker
exclusively. Knowing the behavior of the common ant
color; it is widely distributed throughout the United
species will help to decide the control measures needed
States, especially in the eastern and southern states.
to suppress pest ants.
Module One, Chapter 3, Pg 13
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