If you live in Ohio, chances are you’ve seen your fair share of ants. But what kind of ants are they, and why are they in your house? In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the most common types of ants in Ohio so that you can be better prepared to deal with them.
Key Takeaways
- There are several types of ants you might find in your Ohio home or business, including carpenter ants, cornfield ants, larger yellow ants, and more.
- While most of these ants are harmless, they are still quite irritating to deal with in your home (and some do spread disease or cause structural damage).
- The best way to get rid of these ants is to call a pest control professional.
| Carpenter Ant | ¼”-⅝”,brown to black in color | Kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, and other areas (prefer water-damaged spots) | Don’t eat wood, but often damage wood and cause carpenter damage | Don’t eat wood, but often damage wood and cause carpenter damage |
| Cornfield Ant | Light to dark brown, up to ¼” long | Lawns, fields, beneath rocks, etc | Sweet foods, such as nectar and honeydew | Can create nuisance nests on lawn but don’t cause structural damage |
| Larger Yellow Anter | Dark to blackish brown or yellow-brown, up to ¼” long | Basement walls and floors | Honeydew | Minimal, nuisance pest |
| Pharaoh Ant | Up to 1/16” long, reddish brown color | Any kind of building (homes, hospitals, grocery stores, etc) | Sweet foods | Can transmit disease and invade all kinds of buildings |
| Thief Ant or Grease Ant | Up to 1/16” long, reddish brown color | Any kind of building (homes, hospitals, grocery stores, etc) | Sweet foods | Can transmit disease and invade all kinds of buildings |
| Pavement Ant | Up to ¼” long, dark brown to blackish, hairy | Anywhere in the home, under stones, in masonry and woodwork | Grease, insects, meat, honeydew, plant roots | Can damage plants and invade homes and lawns |
| Little Black Ant | Up to ⅛” long, black, small | In the home, typically in woodwork or masonry as well as in the soil | Sweets, meats, honeydew, vegetables, insects | Minimal, nuisance pest |
| False Honey Ant or Small Honey Ant | Up to ⅛” long, light to dark brown in color, shiny | Kitchens | Sweets, greasy foods | Minimal, nuisance pests |
| Allegheny Mound Ant | Up to ¼” long, blackish-brown to red | Typically outdoors in conical mounds | Sweets (honeydew-secreting insects), other insects | Minimal, don’t usually enter homes |
| Turfgrass (Lawn) Ant | ¼” long, dark brown to light tan | Outdoors in well-drained, gravelly, or clay soil | Plant matter | Minimal, nesting on lawns can be a nuisance |
| Acrobat Ant | Up to ¼” long, light brown to yellow, heart-shaped abdomens | Homes, lawns (typically in old wood or trash) | Sweets and meats | Minimal, have a strong odor |
| Odorous House Ant | Uneven thorax, dark brown to brown, 1/10” long | Indoors | Sweets and other foods | Minimal, strong smelling of rotting coconuts when crushed |
| Crazy Ant | 1/10”, dark brown to black, long, slender legs | Kitchens | Sweets, kitchen scraps, fly larvae | Minimal, nuisance pests |
Carpenter Ant
Carpenter ants get their name from the fact that they tunnel through wood to create their nests. They’re attracted to wood that is wet or has been damaged by rot, so you’ll often find them in homes that have water damage. They are often confused with termites.
Carpenter ants are black or brown and range in size from one-quarter to one-half inch long. If you see carpenter ants in your home, it’s important to call a pest control professional right away as they can cause serious damage to your property.
Cornfield Ant
The cornfield ant is one of the most common ants in Ohio.
As its name suggests, this ant is commonly found near fields of corn, but it can also be found in other agricultural areas.
Cornfield ants typically build their nests in the ground, and they feed on a variety of things, including other insects, honeydew (a sweet substance secreted by aphids), and corn (hence their name).
Larger Yellow Ant
The larger yellow ant is another common type of ant found in Ohio. These ants get their name from their large size—they can be up to three-eighths of an inch long—and their yellow color.
Unlike cornfield ants, larger yellow ants do not build their nests in the ground; instead, they make their homes in tree stumps, logs, and other wooded areas. These ants are also predators and will eat other insects, as well as honeydew and plant juices.
Pharaoh Ant
Pharaoh ants are small—about one-sixteenth of an inch long—and light yellow or reddish-brown in color.
They get their name from the fact that they were first found in Egypt. Pharaoh ants typically build their nests indoors near sources of food and moisture. These insects are attracted to sweets, meat, grease, and other high-protein foods.
While Pharaoh ants don’t usually cause structural damage like carpenter ants do, they can be a nuisance as they often invade homes in large numbers.
Thief Ant or Grease Ant
The thief ant—also known as the grease ant—is a small ant that is very common in Ohio. As its name suggests, this ant is a thief; it lives in the nests of other ants and steals their food.
Thief ants are very small; they can be as tiny as one-twenty-fifth of an inch long and range in color from light brown to almost black.
These ants get into homes easily; once they’re inside, they set up shop and start stealing food from any other ants that happen to live there.
Pavement Ant
The pavement ant gets its name from its habit of building its nests in or under cracks in sidewalks and driveways.
These ants are small and can be brown or black in color. Pavement ants are not aggressive and will only bite if provoked, but they can be a nuisance if they decide to build their nest in your home.
Little Black Ant
As you might expect from its name, the little black ant is small— usually less than one-sixteenth of an inch long—and black in color. Unlike the pavement ant, which is native to Ohio, the little black ant is not.
These ants likely arrived in the state via ships from Asia sometime in the early 1900s. Little black ants are not considered harmful to humans, but they can be a nuisance if they decide to build their nests indoors.
False Honey Ant or Small Honey Ant
The false honey ant gets its name from its habit of “milking” other insects for their honeydew secretions.
Indoor infestations of false honey ants typically occur when the outdoor colony decides to split into two colonies, one of which typically heads indoors looking for food and shelter.
Allegheny Mound Ant
Allegheny mound ants are small black ants that typically build their nests outdoors in the soil. However, they will occasionally enter homes in search of food or water. These ants are most active at night and are attracted to sweet foods like sugar or honey.
Turfgrass (Lawn) Ant
Turfgrass ants are small black or brown ants that build their nests in lawns. They are active during the day and attracted to sweets, proteins, and fats.
Acrobat Ant
Acrobat ants are small black or brown ants that get their name from their ability to raise their abdomen over their thorax when disturbed. They typically build their nests outdoors under rocks or logs but will occasionally enter homes in search of food or water. Acrobat ants are most active during the day and are attracted to sweets and meats.
Odorous House Ant
Odorous house ants get their name from the rotten, coconut-like smell they emit when crushed. These small black ants are a nuisance in homes, as they often invade in large numbers in search of food.
While they are not known to spread disease, they can be difficult to control once they establish themselves indoors. The best way to prevent an infestation is to seal up any cracks or openings around the home where they might be able to enter.
If odorous house ants are already present, baiting with sweet or grease-based substances can be effective in getting rid of them.
Crazy Ant
If you’ve ever seen a line of ants marching single-file across your kitchen counter, you may have wondered what they’re up to. Well, these small but mighty creatures are capable of some pretty amazing feats.
There is one type of ant in particular that stands out from the rest: the crazy ant. As its name suggests, the crazy ant is known for its erratic and unpredictable behavior. Unlike other ants, which typically travel in straight lines, crazy ants move in a zigzag pattern. They also tend to be much more aggressive than other types of ants, and they have been known to invade homes and businesses in search of food.
Conclusion
While all of these types of ants can be a nuisance, knowing which kind you’re dealing with can help you determine the best course of action for getting rid of them. If you see any type of ant in your home, it’s always best to call a pest control professional to take care of the problem before it gets out of hand.