Pest Control Guide - Ants in Indiana, Kentucky, & Illinois

Ants invade your home through tiny cracks in search of food, leaving behind a long lasting and invisible scent trail for the rest of the colony to follow. Do-it-yourself sprays just kill the ants you see and if you don't find the next and eliminate the queen they're soon back on the trail. The most common types of ants include:

• Argentine ants are about 1/8" length
• Argentine ants are brown to black in color.
• Argentine ants have one node between the thorax and the abdomen.
• Argentine ants are similar to the odorous house ant but lacks the burned coconut smell when smashed.
• Argentine ants are a serious pest concern on the West Coast of the United States.

• Elimination is difficult due to their large colony sizes.
• Argentine Ants move their colony often making control difficult.
• Exterior Perimeter treatment with Termidor.
• Interior Perimeter treatments with Phantom.
• Exclusion around windows and doors.
• Exterior baiting with Intice granules.
• Controlling honeydew producing insects such as aphids is also critical.

• Carpenter Ants vary greatly in size with in one colony.
• Carpenter ants have workers of multiple sizes (polymorphism).
• Carpenter ants are large ants about 1/2" in length and are typically black but can be red and black or even red.
• Carpenter ants nest in decaying wood but will also nest in insulation in wall voids of homes and occasionally solid wood.
• Carpenter ants may have several nest sites in a small area (satellite colonies).

• Finding the colony is critical.
• Inspections for carpenter ants may be done at night. Ants are 300% more active at night.
• Dust insecticide should be applied to the suspected colony entrance.
• Insecticide baits with large particle sizes may be used in aiding in location or even for control.
• Termidor may be used on the exterior of the structure in conjunction with other control methods for further control.

• Crazy ants are 1/16"-1/8" in length.
• They are dark brown to black in appearance.
• They get their name because the workers have no particular method of finding their food. They appear to be running crazy when going to a food source or back to the colony.
• Crazy ants have unusually long legs and antennae compared to other ants.

• Exterior perimeter treatments will provide control for crazy ants.
• Insecticide baits can also be used to gain control.
• Exclusion is important and sealing around windows and doors may be necessary.
• Sanitation could contribute to crazy ant activity and cleaning may reduce the population

• Odorouse house ants are 1/16"-1/8" in length.
• They are dark brown to black in color.
• They have one node that is hidden between the thorax and the abdomen.
• They live in very large colonies with multiple queens
• They are the number one pest species in the tri-state.
• They can be extremely difficult to eliminate.
• When smashed they emit a burnt coconut smell.
• They often live in wall voids of structures or in landscape materials close to the structure.
• They feed naturally on aphids which feed on plants.

• Control of Odorous House Ants is difficult.
• Treat the exterior perimeter of the structure with Termidor.
• Treat the interior of the structure with Phantom.
• Use insecticide baits when possible.
• Use Intice granule bait on the exterior perimeter.
• Locate nests and drench directly with insecticide.
• Treat around pipe openings, windows and door.
• Treat landscape beds.
• Inspect all landscape materials including timbers, edging and lighting.
• Exclusion is critical when dealing with odorous house ants.

• Pavement ants are 1/16"-1/8" in length.
• They are dark brown to black.
• Pavement ants have unusually large heads compared to other ants.
• They have two nodes between the thorax and the abdomen.
• Pavement ants live in soil often under concrete or pavement.
• They kick out little mounds of soil between the concrete or pavement.

• Treat the exterior perimeter with Termidor.
• Treat interior areas with Phantom.
• Use Intice granules on the exterior perimeter of the structure.
• Seal areas such as slab fractures or expansion joints.
• Seal around doorways.
• Treat nest directly with liquid insecticide.

• Pharaoh ants are 1/16" in length.
• They are reddish orange in color.
• Pharaoh ants have two nodes between the thorax and the abdomen.
• They are native to the southern part of the United States but are translocated to the north in plants.
• Pharaoh ants have multiple queens and satellite colonies.
• They react to pesticide applications by "budding". A process which protects the colony be removing itself from the treated area.

• DO NOT USE LIQUID INSECTICIDES!
• DO NOT USE DUST INSECTICIDES!
• Use insecticide baits ONLY with Pharaoh ants.
• Use liquid/gel ant baits in areas where ants are foraging heavily.
• Use granules ant baits on the exterior of the structure and attic areas.

Related Pages

• Bed Bugs
• Beetles