Not all ants are the same. Some different species have distinct looks, different behaviors, and different habitats. You might know a little about this already, how the ants that you would typically see in your house are not the same as the ones you see outside. Those ants that commonly hang around by your doors or in the driveway are pavement ants.

Just as their name implies, pavement ants usually make their home in the pavement. They are smaller than other ants, ranging from 1/16-1/8 inch long, which allow them to fit through the cracks. Pavement ants have a brown-black body with pale legs and antennae. Crater-shaped mounds of sand can identify their colonies, and can consist of up to 10,000 workers. 

Despite their size, pavement ants are aggressive toward other ants. They will defend their territory, and enormous battles can take place against neighboring colonies. These battles commonly take place during the spring, when newer colonies try to establish or expand their boundaries.

When on the hunt for food, pavement ants prefer honeydew, insects, sweets, fruit, and greasy foods. Because your home will have plenty of what they want, they can enter your house through cracks in your foundation or other possible openings. 

You can spot this nuisance of an ant around the foundation of your home, underneath brick patios, and around the doorframe. Indoors, you might find them around the baseboards, plumbing, sinks, toilets, or even the insulation or empty spaces in your walls.

Preventing pavement ants involves similar methods to other insects. For instance, make sure that your kitchen is clean and remove crumbs or grease. Seal up those cracks around your home so they cannot build a colony beneath the concrete. Trim back tree branches and shrubs that contact your house so they cannot bridge the gap. Eliminate any plausible water sources for them, so fix your plumbing for any leaky pipes.

If pavement ants have already made their way into your home, your first instinct may be to grab the bug spray. While the common spray can inhibit the ants already in or around your house, it does not act as a repellent for others in the colony. The preferred method for handling pavement ants is with bait.

The spray will stress pavement ants, causing them to scatter. This split can then create a larger problem, as they can create sub-colonies which will then multiply in number, thus causing a larger issue than the one you previously had.

But with baiting, you do not target only the foraging ants. Instead, they will bring the slow-acting bait back to the colony, which will then feed the workers, brood and the queen. It is important that when using a bait, you will want to remove all other food competition and leave the bait alone for the ants.

It may not be possible to remove every single ant from your property, but you can take certain measures to help prevent or eliminate pavement ants from your home. When you spot pavement ants around your home, call Van Den Berge Pest Control at 616-392-7367.

Trust the locally owned, widely renowned experts at Van Den Berge Pest Control for all of your pest needs. With over 100 years of combined experience throughout the Holland, MI-based pest control team, you know you’re in good hands with our state-certified experts.