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Pavement Ants: Recognizing And Eliminating Them

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When homeowners talk about ant infestations, they are often referencing either sugar ants or carpenter ants, both of which are common to see inside of a home. But there is another type of ant that can prove quite a nuisance in your yard and on your patio: pavement ants. Keep reading to learn how to recognize these ants and the steps you can take to eliminate them.

Recognizing Pavement Ants

Pavement ants are tiny ants. They may look black when you're a distance from them, but if you look at them closely, you will notice that they're really a dark, reddish-brown in color. They have six legs and prominent antennae.

Although these ants may wander into a home on occasion, they really do prefer to live outdoors. The problem is that they tend to build their nests under pavement or concrete with little mounds or access points in the cracks of that pavement or concrete. You'll see their nests as powder-like, gray mounds.

Getting Rid of Pavement Ants

While pavement ants are not especially dangerous, they can be a nuisance as they may contaminate the food you're eating outdoors. They may also eat your garden vegetables or invade your trash can. As such, if you see them, it is best to take action and get rid of them.

To get rid of pavement ants, you have to get rid of the queen of the colony. Otherwise, the ants will keep reproducing and reappearing faster than you can eliminate them. The best way to get rid of the queen is with ant baits. Put a few down near the ants' nests. The worker ants will eventually take some of the bait back to the nest. They'll share it with the queen, which will kill her. The other ants will also partake in the bait and die.

Once the pavement ants are gone, you can keep them away by spraying the cracks in your pavement with insecticide from time to time. Store all trash in a covered can, and don't leave pet food outdoors. Also, make sure you pick any garden veggies as soon as they are ripe so they don't attract more pavement ants.

Pavement ants are usually pretty easy to eliminate with baits. But if you are struggling, you can always contact a pest control company. They have access to more powerful baits and sprays that can more effectively get rid of these little pests.

Reach out to a company like T A Roberts Pest Control for more information.


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