Black Ants Bugging You?

September 7th, 2009 Posted in Ants & Roaches


The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah… Too bad black ants in your house aren’t really worth cheering about.

This article will cover the small black ants, including:

  • What black ants look like

  • Living Habits

  • How to get rid of black ants






What black ants look like

These are the ants you saw in cartoons as kids, marching in a straight line carrying little pieces of food.

Black ants have antenna that are both segmented and clubbed. The antennae bend along the side or front of the head, and the ends of them have 3 larger segments.

Black ants have smooth, shiny bodies, ranging from black to dark brown in color. As with other ants, their bodies are segmented into three pieces. Between the thorax and abdomen are two nodes at the “waist.”

Easily recognizable for their size, little black ants grow to be a monstrous 1/16 inch long, and the queens can reach 1/8 inch in length. The body is sparsely covered with small hairs.


Living

Habitat

These are the most common species in North America, spanning the entire continent, except for the Pacific Northwest.


Black ants will generally create small mounds of dirt or wood around the entrance to their outdoor nests. The black ant, or Monomorium minimum can live under rocks outside or in your walls. The ants have versatile living quarters.

Habits

Matching their housing options are their numbers. A single colony can reach over 2,000 worker ants, as well as several queens.

Seeing them in your house isn’t necessarily an indication they’ve built a nest inside. Many times they will come from outside and take your food back to the colony.

Black ants work around the clock, constantly collecting food for their colony. If they are in the area, you will commonly see them marching on an set path between a source of food and the nest.

Diet

Black ants will eat anything we do, which is why they will regularly show up in your cabinets and at your picnics.

Among their favorites are:

  • Sweets

  • Meats

  • Vegetables

They also feed on other insects, including honeydew-producing aphids and honeydew.






How to get rid of black ants

Chemical Insecticides include:

  • Sweet traps

  • Desiccant dusts like borate

  • Cypermethrin

Home Remedies:

  • Spray soapy water or vinegar in the area

  • Create a mixture 2 parts water, 2 parts alcohol, and one part soap to kill some instantly and remove the scent trail they follow into your home

  • Wipe the floor with a cloth dipped in kerosene


EcoSMART, keep it clean

A safe way to remove ants is EcoSMART Ant and Roach Killer. This environmentally-friendly product is made of natural products designed to keep your pets and family safe.

Made with rosemary and cinnamon oils, it will fix your ant problem and leave a fresh natural scent.






  1. 12 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Nicole on Sep 11, 2009

    This article is very helpful! I will try them all. Thanks!

  3. By Kathie Trosch on Sep 11, 2009

    I am representative of our hospital’s Green team and am especially interested in ECO- friendly insect removal for our nursery there.

  4. By Pam Kerr on Sep 16, 2009

    We get these black ants every summer with the heat. They are so frucstrating.

  5. By Andrew on Sep 20, 2009

    I want to grow a decent vegetable garden without harmful insecticides and pesticides. What to do???

  6. By Kathryn on Oct 3, 2009

    We have little black ants all over our kitchen — pantry, under the sink, and lots of trails!!!!!!!! I’m willing to try these products as a safe solution to get rid of them.

  7. By Upasna on Oct 23, 2009

    We always find these bugging us every summer when temperature goes up. What can be done to avoid that?

  8. By cherie on Oct 24, 2009

    I can never figure out how they get in the house. You see a line of them and follow it and just goes nowhere! I have found that if I leave them alone outside they don’t come in the house. The problem is they are in my grass and will bite you when you are out walking on the grass, especially when you are watering. I would love a non chemical way to treat these little buggers.

  9. By Winnie on Oct 24, 2009

    I have tried almost EVERYTHING with the ants including cloves. They disappear for awhile and then bam, they’re there again. The only thing I haven’t tried is toxic spraying chemicals. I have a 2 year old at home and I can’t fathom doing that. It’s so bad that they’re on the ceilings in most of my 3 bdr. house!!
    Most are black some are GINORMOUS half red half black! I’m at the end of my wits. My lil’ girl goes around trying to get them leaving me to have to wash her hands every time and so stressed out! Once I opened the cabinet and even though the snacks are completely sealed, there were so many ants (going 2 diff. directions) it looked like Dallas Freeway @ 5pm!!

    Please HELP!

  10. By Trish B. on Oct 26, 2009

    I have been battling little black ants all summer and fall! I would love to try an Ecosmart product to get rid of them.

  11. By Penny Ardissone on Oct 26, 2009

    We recently moved to Newport, Oregon. To our dismay we have found that even after the house was professionally treated inside and out we have small black ants in the kitchen. To add to the problem we also have them in the bedroom! They come in thru the electrical outlet. We have pets and are concerned about trying toxic products to kill the ants. We would love to try your EcoSmart product.

    Thanks,

    Penny

  12. By cyndi king on Oct 26, 2009

    i hate these ants. no matter what i do they keep coming back.

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12 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers! (details)