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Ants

Carpenter AntThe control of ant infestations in and around structures begins with ant identification. 

Ant Anatomy-Identifying Characteristics
A basic knowledge of ant anatomy is necessary in order to determine how to control their infestation.  All ants have certain basic characteristics that distinguish them from other insects.  Ants most closely resemble wasps because both belong to the Hymenoptera order of insects - ants belong to one family called Formicidae.

Ants have three body regions shared by all insects.  A unique character of ants is the presence of a thin segment called a pedicel, which separates the thorax from the abdomen.  The pedicel is actually the first one or two segments of the abdomen, and the thin shape give ants the appearance of a pinched "waist".  The remaining portion of the abdomen is called the gaster.  The fact that the pedicel has either one or two segments is a key character for identifying ants.  These one or two segments are commonly called nodes and are the first thing one looks at when attempting to identify an ant.

Ants fall into two basic groups-they are either one node ants or two node ants.  The shape of the nodes can sometimes play a role in ant identification.  For example, the single node of the odorous house ant is flat and hidden from view by the abdomen.  In the acrobat ant, the two nodes of the pedicel are attached at the top of the gaster, while in most ants, the pedicel attaches at the middle of the gaster.

Once the number of nodes has been determined, the second area we must examine is the thorax.  The shape of the thorax is an important character for identifying carpenter ants.  The carpenter ant's thorax is evenly rounded, while in all other structure-infesting species, the thorax has an uneven shape.  Some ants have one or more pairs of spines on the thorax.  The pyramid ant does not have thoracic spines, but it does have a single pyramid-like bump on the top rear of its thorax.  In other species, a key identifying character might be the presence of grooves on the thorax, such as those found on the pavement ant.

Ants have elbowed antennae, with the first segment, called the scape, being extremely long.  The other antennal segments branch off of the scape at a sharp angle, giving the antenna its "elbow" shape.  An important identifying characteristic for some species is that when counting the number of segments of the antennae, the scape is counted as the first segment.  Most structure-infesting ants have 12-segmented antennae, but the fire ant and the thief ant have only 10 segments in their antennae. Another very important identifying clue for some ants is the presence of an antennal club.  A club is formed when the last two or three antennal segments are greatly enlarged.  The number of enlarged segments in this club can be a key identifying character.  For example, thief ants are quickly distinguished from pharoah ants because thief ants have a two-segmented club, while the club of the pharoah ant has three segments.  

The gaster (abdomen) itself generally plays little role in the identification of most ants. Certain characters, however, can be helpful in confirming the identity of an ant when combined with the other identifying characters.  Carpenter ants, for example, have a circle of tiny hairs around the anus.  The shape of the gaster is a key character for acrobat ants.  When viewed from above, the acrobat ant's gaster is heart-shaped.

Some ants have a stinger present at the tip of the abdomen, although in several structure-infesting ants, the ant may be incapable of stinging a person.  Pavement ants and thief ants are two ants that possess stingers but do not sting.  Fire ants, little fire ants, and harvester ants, however, put their stingers to good use in defending their colonies.

A common mistake made in trying to identify ants is to rely too much on colour and size.  As professionals we can determine much about the identity of the ant during a telephone call, especially carpenter ants where we ask our caller about damage, behaviour, colour, and size.  But polymorphic ants such as carpenter ants and fire ants have many different sizes of workers.  For example, a mature carpenter ant colony may have workers ranging in size from 1/8 inch up to 5/8 inch.  Carpenter ant species also range in colour.  Over North America there are species of carpenter ants that are brown, some red and black, and others jet black.

So, as you can see there are a variety of factors that determine which ant is infesting your house or cottage.  Our knowledgeable Pest Management Specialists will identify the ant and treat appropriately. At the top of this page you will find a link catalogue of many of our common ants, their profiles, and photos/ illustrations.  Carpenter ants are also accessed from our main menu on each page of the site and are considered the most important pest ant we deal with.  

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