Performance Pest Management + Pleasanton, CA + Pest Control in the Bay Area

	Argentine Ant The worker ants are only about 3 mm (1/8th inch) long and can easily squeeze through cracks and holes no more than 1 mm (0.040 inch) in size. Queens are two to four times the length of workers. These tiny ants will set up quarters in the ground, in cracks in concrete walls, in spaces between boards and timbers, even among belongings in human dwellings. Argentine ants are a common household pest, often entering structures in search of food or water (particularly during dry or hot weather), or to escape flooded nests during periods of heavy rainfall. Argentine ant colonies almost invariably have many reproductive queens, as many as eight for every 1,000 workers, so eliminating a single queen does not stop the colony's ability to breed. When they invade a kitchen, it is not uncommon to see two or three queens foraging along with the workers. Argentine ants are a common household pest, often entering structures in search of food or water (particularly during dry or hot weather), or to escape flooded nests during periods of heavy rainfall. Argentine ant colonies almost invariably have many reproductive queens, as many as eight for every 1,000 workers, so eliminating a single queen does not stop the colony's ability to breed. When they invade a kitchen, it is not uncommon to see two or three queens foraging along with the workers. They prefer sweet foods such as the honeydew produced by aphids and mealy bugs.
	Carpenter Ant Most carpenter ants can be easily distinguished from other species of ants by their large size, up to 1/2 inch long. Common species are dark, often black. Carpenter ants cannot sting but if handled can inflict a painful bite with their powerful jaws. They emit a noxious excretion of formic acid when disturbed. Winged ants, which leave the nest to mate and establish new colonies, are sometimes confused with termites. Carpenter ants feed on both dead and living insects, aphid and scale honeydew, and juices of ripe fruit. Although ants do not eat wood, they bore into wood to make their nests, which consist of extensive networks of galleries usually begun in areas soft from decay. Exclude carpenter ants from buildings by caulking cracks and blocking other entrances whenever possible.
	Fire Ant Fire ants, sometimes referred to as simply red ants, are stinging ants with over 280 species worldwide. They have several common names including Ginger Ants and Tropical Fire Ants (English), aka-kami-ari (Japanese), and Feuerameise (German). Fire ants can be distinguished from other ants by their copper brown head and body with a darker abdomen. The worker ants are blackish to reddish, and their size varies from 2mm to 6 mm (0.12 in to 0.24 in).Fire ants nest in the soil, often near moist areas, such as river banks, pond edges, watered lawns and highway edges. Usually the nest will not be visible as it will be built under objects such as timber, logs, rocks, pavers, bricks, etc.
	Odorous Ant Odorous house ants are tiny, about 3 mm in length, and are dark brown to black in color. However, odorous house ants are most easily identified by the coconut odor that is produced when their bodies are crushed. It is from this odor that they get their name, odorous house ants. These ants are almost always seen foraging in large numbers. When alarmed, the workers will run about in an erratic fashion with their abdomens raised in the air. They eat live and dead insects but are also very attracted to sweet foods. They especially like the honeydew that is produced by aphids and mealy bugs. The best way to control odorous house ants is prevention. Good sanitation is a vital part of an effective ant prevention program.
	Pavement Ant Pavement Ants are small pests (ranging from 1/10 to 1/16 inches in length) that can be found in many parts of the United States. The pavement ant earns its name well, building nests beneath and along the sides of pavement: patios, driveways, sidewalks, foundations of homes. These pests can also be found inside of homes (and other structures) in wall voids, beneath toilets and water heaters. The small ants feed on a variety of foods, including grease, sweets, seeds and dead insects. Pet foods or any food dropped on the floor will quickly be covered with pavement ants. They also feed on the honeydew produced by aphids and are an occasional pest of vegetable gardens. Outdoors, you will see pavement ants nesting beneath mulch, landscaping, stones and logs, and also along curbs.
	Pharaoh Ant Pharaoh workers are very small (about 1/16-inch long); light yellow to reddish brown in color with the abdomen (hind portion of body) somewhat darker. Unlike most ants, they breed continuously throughout the year in heated buildings and mating occurs in the nest. A single queen can produce many hundreds of workers in a few months. Pharaoh ants have become a serious nuisance pest in hospitals, rest homes, apartment dwellings, hotels, grocery stores, food establishments and other buildings. They feed on a wide variety of foods including jellies, honey, shortening, peanut butter, corn syrup, fruit juices, baked goods, soft drinks, greases, dead insects and even shoe polish. Also, these ants gnaw holes in silk, rayon and rubber goods. In hospitals, foraging ants have been found in surgical wounds, I.V. glucose solutions, sealed packs of sterile dressing, soft drinks, water in flower displays and water pitchers. These ants are capable of mechanically transmitting diseases and contaminating sterile materials.
	Thief Ant Thief ants belong to a complex group of very small, related species that have not been studied in detail. The most studied species in this group is S. molesta. Workers are all the same size, tiny, 1/32-inch long, Yellow to light brown with very small eyes. They Feed on grease and greasy foods, proteins, dead insects, and even dead rodents; may sometimes feed on sweets. They often steal food and ant larvae from nests of other ants. This is a frequent house-invading ant and may nest indoors in cracks and cupboards. Thief ants are more likely to have an indoor nest than the Pharaoh ant