- Color: Allegheny mound ants have a reddish head and thorax. The abdomen and legs are dark brown to black.
- Size: The workers vary in size from 3.2 to 6.3 mm.
Allegheny ants nest in open areas with plenty of sunshine and construct large mounds made from soil particles they excavate from underground tunnels and bring to the soil surface. Residents with ant mounds in their yards may see the insects crawling inside by accident. Otherwise, these pests rarely enter homes. They feed on other insects and have little or no interest in human food and rarely enter buildings unless acceptable prey insects are located inside.
Preventing Allegheny mound ants begins with a thorough inspection. Sometimes there is evidence to show where they made their nest. For example, if there are bits of foam on the ground by the foundation, it may be a sign that acrobat ants are nesting behind the siding. Ants that are moving in a trail can lead to their nest and their food supply. It is very often necessary to correct a moisture problem before it is possible to eliminate acrobat ants.
The Allstate Pest Control Man™ is trained to help manage ants and similar pests. Since every building or home is different, your Orkin technician will design a unique program for your situation.
Keeping ants out of homes and buildings is an ongoing process, not a one-time treatment. Orkin’s exclusive A.I.M. solution is a continuing cycle of three critical steps — Assess, Implement and Monitor.
The Allstate Pest Control Man™ can provide the right solution to keep ants in their place…out of your home, or business.
The workers make galleries and tunnels in the ground. The tunnels extend as deep as almost 1 m (~3 ft) into the soil. As they dig, the workers pile the excavated soil up to make the mound. The mounds can reach records of about 5 m (~16ft) in diameter, especially with older nests found in fields and wooded areas. The mounds that these ants build are frequently mistaken for fire ant mounds.
Allegheny mound ants nest in fields, pastures and wooded areas. They also live in playgrounds and residential lawns in rural and suburban areas. They do not usually enter homes, but workers often forage on patios and decks.
Allegheny mound ants eat insects and honeydew, a sweet substance produced by sap-feeding insects like aphids or scales. The workers protect aphids and other insects that produce honeydew. The ant workers sometimes damage trees and shrubs by chewing openings in the bark and spraying formic acid. This is done to kill trees that are shading the nests. If these ants are disturbed, they give off a distinct formic acid odor.