Jump To Section
Learn From The Pro's
Pavement ants are tiny ants that live near sidewalks and driveways. Known for their distinct mounds, they’re more of a nuisance pest than a destructive one. They’re opportunistic feeders and among the most common ants in New Jersey.
What Are Pavement Ants?
If you’ve ever thought about Googling “What are pavement ants?”, you’re about to get your answer. As their name suggests, pavement ants are a type of ant with an affinity for cement. They like to nest underneath sidewalks, driveways, patios, and building foundations. These ants, like many, are on the small side . . . measuring roughly an eighth of an inch long. They’re usually dark brown or black with legs and antennae that are a slightly lighter hue, and they are most active in the spring and summer (although infestations can happen year-round).
Opportunistic omnivores, pavement ants enjoy a variety of left-behind foods; they have a sweet spot for sugar, grease, seeds, and protein. Like any proper foodie, they love ranch dressing; they’re drawn to its fat, oil, and dairy content. These little ants are gifted foragers frequently found in kitchens while looking for: hidden crumbs, forgotten spills, and debris missed by the dust mop.
Pavement ants aren’t aggressive toward people, but they do fight with their fellow insects. Colonies might contain thousands of worker ants, taking part in territorial ant wars where rivals duel it out to protect or expand their nests.
Are These Ants Destructive?
Questions like, “What are pavement ants?” might not be the only thing you’re curious about. Many homeowners wonder whether specific ant species are dangerous to their families or destructive to their properties.
Pavement ants, like many other types of ants, can bite, although they rarely do. Their bites are not venomous, and they’re very unlikely to bite unprovoked. If you pick one up, even if it’s to move it from the middle of the sidewalk to a safer flower bed, there’s a chance it’ll repay you with a nibble. But these bites are subtle, much more so than those of carpenter ants. If you’re bitten by a pavement ant, you might not even notice.
Pavement ants also have stingers, although they’re often retracted and rarely used. Unlike mosquitoes, these ants don’t spread disease, and unlike termites, they also don’t dine on your dining room table from the inside out. They are even dissimilar to their carpenter ant cousins, since they don’t excavate wood.
Of course, this isn’t to say they make nice houseguests. They’re considered a nuisance pest, and their sheer numbers can easily overwhelm home and business owners. They may also contaminate food, particularly if they crawl around counters or cabinets.
Signs of Pavement Ants
Whether marching one by one or two by two, a trail of ants along the floors, baseboards, walls, or counters is among the surest signs of an infestation. You might even see pavement ants physically entering your home, crawling in through cracks or gaps. They may be anywhere, but the kitchen is their favorite hangout; pantries and other food storage areas are particularly popular. During the swarming season, some may even sprout wings.
Small, accessible mounds of soil or sand near pavement or foundation cracks help you identify these ants from similar species. Other ants head for the hills as well, but with defining characteristics.
Fire ants build dome-shaped mounds that can get quite tall, over a foot, and lack an obvious entrance. Harvest ants create big, circular mounds on bare ground; they’re more common in drier climates (like Colorado) than in New Jersey. Field ants make hills out of grass, needles, and twigs, while yellow meadow ants leave soil mounds on lawns or beneath rocks. Allegheny mound ants live up to their name by building extensive mounds of soil, pine, and plants; some reach several feet tall.
How Can You Prevent Pavement Ants?
The question is no longer, “What are pavement ants?”, but now it’s . . . “How do you avoid them?” Preventing these types of ants is similar to preventing any ant (and most pests). Cutting off their entry routes by sealing cracks and gaps around doors, windows, and home foundations is the first step; if they can’t get in, they can’t infest.
Other ways to reduce the fancy of your fruit bowl and the draw of your den include repairing leaks that increase moisture, trimming branches and vegetation on your property, removing debris, and keeping trash cans tightly shut. Proper food storage goes a long way, too, as many ants enter homes because they’re hungry.
Whether you suspect an infestation or want to prevent one, Kapture can help. Contact us to learn more about our custom-made plans and same-day services.