Author: Kurt Treftz, Cascade Pest Control
In order to address an ant infestation, one of the first key steps is identifying which type of ants are in or around your home. There are a number of ant species common to the Seattle and wider Puget Sound area, each with their own tendencies. Common varieties found within the home include the odorous house ant, carpenter ant, Argentine ant, pharoah ant, and moisture ant. Outside of the home, you may run into varieties like thatching ants or pavement ants. Successful ant control starts with understanding the ants species common in your area.
Common Ant Species Found in the Seattle Region
Ants Found Inside and Outside the Home:
- Odorous House Ants – Ever see a trail of ants leading from a food source to an entry point in your house? Did they release an unpleasant odor if you decided to squash them? The house ant, also known as the odorous ant for the unpleasant smell released if you crush them, is a common nuisance in Seattle region These small, black ants will seek out any source of food in your home, and arrive in large numbers once they find it.
- Carpenter Ants – Unlike house ants, carpenter ants are unlikely to make their presence so immediately obvious. Instead, they seek out wet, damaged areas of the home’s structure, where they establish colonies. They can be black, brown, or a mixture of black and red, with a length ranging from 6 to 13 millimeters. Carpenter ants don’t eat wood, but they can tunnel through sound structure, causing significant damage over time.
- Argentine Ants – As the name suggests, Argentine Ants arrived in our area from South America. They are very small, and reproduce extremely quickly, which can lead to very large colonies within a home. They’re also very social, so if you see one you’re likely to see many, many more.
- Pharoah Ants – Small in size and light in color, the pharoah ant is also known for producing very large colonies. Pharoah ants are also resistant to some ant control techniques, because they will simply break up and form new, smaller colonies in the same location.
- Moisture Ants – Like carpenter ants, moisture ants like to hang out in moist, damaged parts of the home. These small, yellow ants can cause damage to structure on their own, and are usually a sign that there may be some serious underlying damage to the structure already.
Ants Commonly Found Outside the Home:
- Thatching Ants – Frequently found in forested areas, thatching ants create ground-based nests which they cover with straw. They are red and black in color, and create small trails as they forage. Thatching Ants can also have a painful bite, so they are best avoided in the wild.
- Pavement Ants – Ever walk across a sidewalk and find a swarm of ants moving around seemingly aimlessly? Pavement ants are commonly found on sidewalks everywhere, always foraging for food. If they invade your patio or enter your home, they can become quite a serious nuisance.
Whether you know what type of ants you’re dealing with or need an assist from the experts, our team at Cascade Pest Control is here to help with all of your ant control needs in the Seattle and Puget Sound area. We know the ants common to the region, how they operate, the best environmentally safe pest control solutions to eradicate ant infestations, and the steps required to keep them from coming back.
