Scientific name: Solenopsis molesta
When it comes to being small, thief ants are so tiny they often go unnoticed. The average thief ant is a little bit bigger than the ball in a ball point pen. Thief ants are often mistaken with pharaoh ants because they share the same yellow to amber color. Unlike pharaoh ants thief ants do not have color bands on their abdomen.
General Information
Thief ants get their name because from their behavior. They like to build their nests close to other ant colonies; their tunnels will sometimes even connect. The thief ant workers will then rob from the other colony and steal their food and eat their larvae. When it comes to food choice, thief ants prefer grease and protein. If you have potato ships in your home, they will try to steal from you. Thief ants have a strong preference for protein and have even been known to feed on animal carcasses. If they cannot find greasy foods or protein, they will gladly steal sweets too. Thief ant colonies can contain multiple queen ants, but the total number of ants per colony is only a few thousand. Since they are highly adaptable, thief ants can build their colonies in numerous locations including; in the dirt under logs and stones, within masonry brick and woodwork, and inside of wall voids.
Signs of an Infestation
The main sign of a thief ant infestation are the ants. Thief ants forage in distinct lines, and you will see their forage lines in buildings where that are infested.
Treatment
Thief ants can be difficult to treat because of their small size. The nest can be located in areas that are difficult to reach. Because of this, biologists recommend bringing in the professionals. That is where we come in. When you call Pointe Pest Control, you are getting a professional, friendly, licensed, thief ant eradication expert. At Pointe Pest Control, we care about the environment. We avoid using chemicals that are hard on Mother Nature. We work to protect the environment, while eliminating pesky thief ants that want to steal your food. When you want the best in pest control, you need to give us a call.