Key Features
- Jointed red, brown, or black body
- Found among colonies of aphids
- Crawls up and down trunk
Symptoms
Ants are among the most common insects you will encounter. In most cases, the ants you encounter in the soil will not cause a problem, as they are busy feeding on soil insects or wandering on plants looking for the sugary excrement of a sucking insect or a young caterpillar on which to feed on. Exceptions to this rule include some soil dwelling ants who build mounds in the soil and become a nuisance when digging in the area. In parts of the country where fire and crazy ants can be found, these ants are more than just a minor nuisance because of their capacity to sting and to infest structures and homes.
Biology
Ants are social insects and are the most abundant group of insects in the world. They are great opportunists that can live in soil, on leaves, in decaying trees, and in structures. Ground dwelling species will improve the soil by acting as natural tillers. They also feed on the liquid excrement of sucking insects, like aphids, who suck the sap from flower stems and leaves. For this reason, ants can sometimes prolong infestations of sucking insects by protecting them from the predaceous and parasitic insects that feed on them.
Management Recommendations
Ants can be beneficial in the landscape, as they act to aerate the soil, and feed on the larval stages of many insects that can attack plants. For this reason, insecticides are not recommended to control ants. When ant mounds are encountered that interfere with your planting or enjoyment, mounds can be treated directly by soaking or depositing formulated granules to kill them. Ants that feed on liquid excrement of sucking insect pests will leave the garden when the sucking insects are no longer a problem.
Effective Pesticides
Pesticides are neither available nor recommended for managing this pest.
Resources
- Not satisfied with ID? Contact the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab
- Sign Up for the Purdue Landscape Report
