There are over 19,000 species of ants that have been identified, each with its own unique appearance and characteristics. All ants are social and occur in groups. Depending on the ant species the number of ants present in a colony can differ from thousands to millions. 

Ants are also related to wasps and bees as they all belong to the order of Hymenoptera. Though they do have many physical similarities, their way of living is quite different such as ants live in anthills or colonies and bees live in a bee nest or a beehive. Here are the different types of most commonly known ant species.  Click here for household pest services.

Carpenter ant

Carpenter ants are the most common type of ants, they are typically black in color, but they do have different breeds that are found in yellowish and reddish color. Carpenter ants chew on wood and create their nests in them while forming passageways to move from one nest to another. Even though Carpenter ants chew on wood, they do not feed on them; ants are most commonly attracted to food that people eat and are most frequently attracted to sweets. 

Argentine ant

Argentine ants are very adaptable, therefore can nest in any given area. These ants have huge colonies that consist of many queen ants; it can even go up to having over 200 queens per 1000 workers. It is very hard to get rid of these ants once it enters your home, as mentioned before they are very adaptable therefore they do not make one large nest but they make a shallow nest that change day-to-day. Argentine ants, like any other ant, are also mainly attracted to sweets. 

Termites

Termites are also most commonly known as a ‘white ant’, this often confuses people to put termites in the same category as ants, but in fact termites do not belong to the ant family, These insects are commonly found in households and on dead plants and trees, as they are attracted to an organic fiber found in wood and plant matter called cellulose due to the many nutrients it contains.   

Fire ants

Fire ants belong to the species of Solenopsis, the species of Solenopsis consists of over 200 species, and all Solenopsis species are known as stinging ants, therefore they are considered the worse type of ants. They are known to have large colonies that consist of hundreds of workers and are said to be so active and aggressive that they attack any intruder. These are some of the ants that are bound to run into you; therefore it would definitely be a good advantage for you to keep this information in mind, allowing you to identify, which ants are harmful to you and which ants are harmful to your household.