The Argentine Ant

By S. Rae from Scotland, UK – Linepithema humile (Argentine Ant), CC BY 2.0,
Argentine ants (Linepathema humile) have invaded almost every continent in the world, and thus are common household pests in places across the planet. They are known to displace other ants, and can be a nuisance to humans as well. Their rapid breeding process and large super-colonies ensure that they are pretty hard to get rid of.
HOW TO IDENTIFY ARGENTINE ANTS
- Argentine ants are light brown to dark brown in colour
- Body length ranges from 2.2mm to 2.8mm
- Their antenna is segmented into 12 portions
- They have a smooth, hairless body
Appearance, Behavior and Signs
- Argentine ants prefer moist areas, such as mulch, home foundations and under rotting wood.
- They often invade human spaces during the winter to seek shelter
- They enter houses during summer as well in search of water
- They are known to displace other species of ants
- They live in colonies, and are known to make supercolonies that have numerous queens and sub colonies
- They are attracted to decaying matter
- They can set up their colonies in cracked walls, spaces between boards and behind decaying floorboards and walls
- They move very fast, and often shift their nests due to the presence of threats
- Water is highly important for them, which is why they infest households
- They often move between nest to nest, and the queens can be seen commuting between these two locations as well
- Argentine ants from different nests do not attack each other
- If another ant species has abandoned its nest, Argentine ants will take over and house themselves there