Ants of California

Velvety Tree Ant

• The velvety tree ant is about 1/4 inch long. The ant's head and thorax is reddish brown while the abdomen is black. The velvety tree ant generally lives outdoors and feeds on honeydew, a sweet and sticky substance secreted by aphids and other small insects. Foraging velvety tree ants may enter homes looking for food. They can also nest inside or in wet wood like that around leaks or windows. Velvety tree ants are most common type of ant in California.

Fire Ants

• The southern fire ant can be found in southwestern deserts. There are three separate species of fire ant in the southwest, and they all look very similar. Minor workers are about 1/10 of an inch while major workers are about 1/3 of an inch. The most common kind of fire ant in the deserts of California is very red. Fire ants are scavengers and eat insects, carrion, fruits, seeds and nectar.

Harvester Ants

• Harvester ants eat grass seeds as well as the bodies of other insects and spiders. Harvester ants have small stingers on their abdomens. These ants can be very aggressive. They are also the primary food source for horned lizards, whose scales protect them from harvest ant stings. In 2003 harvester ants became the first ants to travel in space -- in a student project that accompanied the final mission of the Columbia, which was tragically destroyed on reentry.

Carpenter Ants

• Carpenter ants like damp and water-damaged wood. These ants carve out pieces of wood to build their nests. This process can leave piles of what looks like sawdust. Carpenter ants can be found in California houses and yards. They can weaken wooden structures and are considered pests. The ants can be up to 5/8 inch long. Color can range from brown and black to red.