Little Black Ant Control
Little Black Ants are jet-black in color, with a 12- segmented antenna ending in a 3-segmented club. The pedicel (bridge between abdomen and thorax) has 2 segments. The Little Black Ant worker is about 1/16th inch in length, while the queen is twice that size. The Little Black Ant is native to the United States and common throughout, however the heaviest populations are found in the eastern half of the country.
Step 1) Find the Entry Point or Colony
Little Black Ants are highly adaptable when it comes to nesting, and nests are commonly found both indoors and outdoors, in a variety of climates. Little black ants prefer to make a home of decayed woods, but will also build nests in cement cracks, under stones, or in open lawns. When you first notice invading ants, they may form an obvious trail which you can easily follow to find exactly where the ants are entering. If the ant trail and entry point is NOT obvious, try the following Honey & Peanut Butter Bait Method:
1) Place a large dab of honey and a dab of peanut butter side by side on a flat note card or piece of tin foil.
2) Place the card or foil in a corner on the floor close to where you notice the greatest ant activity.
3) If the activity is in several places, put out more than 1 card.
Within about two hours, the ants will locate the food source, and form a steady trail of workers to and from the colony to the food source. You should then be able to follow the trail visually to the point where the ants are entering. This may be a crack in a baseboard, a doorframe, or window sill. Ideally, you will be able to follow the trail all the way to the ant colony.