Most species of carpenter ants only come out of the nest to forage at night, so you wouldn’t see them during the day. Carpenter ants won’t attack as quickly as fire ants. Instead, they bite with their large mandibles and can break the skin, so you may find a small amount of blood around the wound. How red and black carpenter ants act: Carpenter ants don’t sting like fire ants do. Nests: Tunnel system inside trees, logs, or wooden structures.Size: 9.5 to 13 millimeters (around the width of your fingernail).Color: Reddish-brown head and thorax (middle section of the body) with a black abdomen (back-end).What red and black carpenter ants look like:
Traits of red and black carpenter antsĩ.5 to 13 millimeters long (about the width of a human fingernail)ġ.5 to 5 millimeters long (about the width of a pencil eraser at most) Here are the main differences between red and black carpenter ants and fire ants. are Florida carpenter ants and Camponotus sayi (no established common name for this species). The most common red and black carpenter ant species in the U.S. Some carpenter ants are partially the same reddish-brown color as fire ants, which causes confusion between the two. Should you be worried about the red ants in your yard or home? Figure out whether you have fire ants or one of these common look-alikes by their physical appearance, behavior, and geography. Homeowners often see red ants and immediately assume fire ants, but there are other species of red ants that are much less aggressive and less dangerous. 4 types of red ants that look like fire ants Our fire ant distribution data comes from the USDA’s Extension Foundation, the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), and the USDA and University of Florida’s Citrus Pests identification database. As of now, stinging fire ant species are found in all or parts of: Where fire ants are found in the U.S.įire ants are extremely common in the South and continue to spread to new parts of the country. Inside, they’ll eat any meats, greasy foods, or sweet foods they can find. Outside, they eat other insects and honeydew, a substance made by aphids. One fire ant stings several times, causing an intense burning sensation and white pustules on the skin.įire ants usually look for food in the morning or late afternoon. WARNING: Never touch a suspected fire ant nest with your feet, hands, or a short utensil. One way to tell if you have fire ants is to touch the mound with a rake, shovel, or long pole and see how the ants react. Any time you disturb a fire ant mound, hundreds of them will pour out to attack. How fire ants actįire ants are aggressive about protecting their nest. Fire ants also tend to be more reddish-brown in color. Nests: Mounds up to 2 feet high with no hole in the top one fire ant colony may have several mounds across your property, usually in moist areas or near a food sourceĬompared to other red ants: Fire ants are smaller than most other types of red ants.Size: 1.5 to 5 millimeters long (the size of a sharp pencil point to the width of a pencil eraser) fire ant workers of the same colony will vary in size.Color: Reddish-brown to bright red with a brown abdomen (back-end).Here are some identifying characteristics of red imported fire ants, the most common species in the U.S.: Fire ants vary in size and color depending on the species.
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