If you think you have a sugar ant infestation in your Austin home or commercial property, you may actually be dealing with these common Texas native ant species:

Pharaoh Ants

Size: Very tiny—less than 2mm or 1/16 of an inch long

Color: Red and black markings on abdomen, light yellow body

Diet: Eat sweets and other insects

Habitat: Colonies can be found in walls, cabinets, baseboards, and other dark, warm spaces

Pharaoh ants can carry diseases, rarely bite

Acrobat Ants

Size:  Very small–less than 5.5mm long

Color:  Dark brown, may be winged

Diet: Eat sweets, meat, and other insect secretions

Habitat: Nest can be found in moist environments, such as beneath siding, vents, or other insulated spaces in or around the home.

Acrobat ants will raise their abdomen above their head if disturbed and may give off an odor. Acrobat ants rarely bite, but can cause structural damage to wood

Crazy Ants

Size:  Small—About 1/8 inches in length

Color: Dark gray, black, or reddish-brown with long legs and antennae. Covered in small hairs, may have wings but rarely fly

Diet: Eat sweets, greasy food, other insects

Habitat: Found under logs, soil, but are especially attracted to electrical equipment

Characterized by moving fast and erratically with no sense of direction. When threatened, crazy ants send out a scent to attract other ants, and can cause massive damage to electrical equipment, but rarely are a direct danger to humans.

Carpenter Ants

Size: Large—1/4-3/4 inches long

Color: Dull black or dark brown, red abdomen. May have wings and large mandibles.

Diet: Eats sweets, meats, other insects

Habitat: Colonize in moist environments, where wood is found, such as walls, chimneys, crevices, doorframes, baseboards, etc.

Can often be mistaken for termite infestations due to the structural damage to wood that carpenter ants cause. Can bite in defense and potentially cause pain to humans.

If you think you have carpenter ants, crazy ants, pharaoh ants, acrobat ants, or any other type of sugar ant in your home, contact the pest control and ant experts at Magic Pest and Lawn immediately.