Introduction

Imagine seeing a column of small, shiny, black ants crawling towards your kitchen counter. These tiny unwelcomed visitors are one of the most common household pests in the U.S. . This article will help you take a look at the situation and know the real identity of black ants. Most importantly it will tell you how to get rid of black ants completely.

What Types of Ants Are Black Ants?

First of all, not all black color ants are alike. However, we know that “black ant” is a collective name for several species of ants. Each species has its own characteristics, favorite food, and habitat:

1. Black Garden Ants (Lasius niger): The black ant found in the garden, these insects are shiny.
2. Carpenter Ants (Camponotus spp.): They are larger in size (up to ½inch), and have the capability of doing more harm. They chew their way through wet wood, thus endangering the house’s stability and safety.
3. Little Black Ants (Monomorium minimum): Small being (1.5-2 mm) but great power, they get into the kitchen through the tiniest cracks and crevices, lured by their sweet tooth and protein hunger.
4. Pavement Ants (Tetramorium caespitum): Pavement ants are named so because they build nests in or under cracks in pavement. These dark brown to black ants can also invade structures.

Even though the majority of black ants are not harmful, you should be aware of the urgency of the carpenter ants issue as they are a real destructive force.

Characteristics: Size, Color, Structure, and Risks!

About black ants, some of their characteristics are common while others differ to a large extent in terms of behavior and hazard:

• Size: Fits in the range from 1.5 mm (little black ants) to ½ inch (carpenter ants). Workers are the ones who are tinier, while queens get bigger.
• Color: Shiny black bodies, although carpenter ants might have reddish tinges.
• Structure: Bent at the elbow antennae, the bodies are segmented into parts (head, thorax, abdomen), and there are mandibles strong to the extent of being able to do the work of digging or chewing.
• Behavior: Black garden ants are the ones who farm aphids and prosper in the soil. Carpenter ants are the ones who dig out the wet wood but do not eat it. In addition to that, little black ants are the ones who are involved in the formation of slow-moving trails toward sugary or oily foods.
• Black garden ants farm aphids and thrive in soil.
• Carpenter ants excavate moist wood but don’t eat it.
• Little black ants form slow-moving trails to sugary or greasy foods.

Are Black Ants Dangerous?

• Most black ants are considered as the structural pests mainly for their wood-bearing ability. They are capable of constructing tunnels to their nests in the beams of your house resulting in your home being seriously damaged.
• Most black ants are regarded as domestic pests, while carpenter ants are able to destroy the wood in buildings.
• Bites are now and then only if occurs that not to be that serious, may be dangerous mainly if a person is allergic, but their presence can still pass on disease to humans through contamination of food.

5 Proven Ways on How to Get Rid of Black Ants

• Seal Entry Points: Seal all the cracks in the walls, windows, and foundation with caulk so that the lines of the black ant trails are broken.
• Use Borax Baits: Sugar and borax in a 1:8 ratio are dissolved in water. Soon one can find the cotton balls with this solution, next to the nest- the ants will bring the poison back to the colony.
• Natural Repellents: Along the pathways of ants spray, the vinegar and water solution or peppermint oil to deter their scents.
• Eliminate Food Sources: Close-fitting lids of containers, spotless kitchen floors, and taking-out of, residues on a daily basis are the best ways to get rid of ants.
• Call Pros for Severe Infestations: It is best to use professional-grade insecticides on the persistent colonies of carpenter ants.

Conclusion:

Though black ants may go unnoticed in your space, they still have the power to cause considerable damage. The more promptly you learn the species and start the process of eradication (plugging of entry points, baiting, and staying clean), the better chances of success you will have and it will be easier for you to get the control of the situation. Keep in mind: Black ants are mostly after your food, but carpenter ants are a direct threat to you. The key is to be the one who takes care and not allow the tiny creatures overstaying in your home!

Knowing the right strategies, the problem of how to get rid of black ants infestation can be solved easily. It’s time to go and have that snack without ants interfering!