There are several types of ants that you can find in Arizona. Some are a nuisance because they seem able to sniff out food from a mile away and show up inside your house. You certainly don’t want to see a line of ants making their way into your kitchen or bathroom or eating their way through a granola bar that you forgot about and left open in your pantry.

Some ants are troublesome because their stings are quite painful. My daughter was playing on the playground when she was in kindergarten and the next thing she knew, her sandal-clad feet were being bitten by fire ants. She will never forget it because it HURT!

Here are some of the ants that you can commonly find in the metro Phoenix area, followed by tips about how to get rid of ants.

Common types of ants in Arizona

Fire ants

Fire ants can either be red or black and they build their colonies in grassy areas, like a park, a golf course or your front yard, or near a roadway or path. They can be aggressive when disturbed.

Carpenter ants

Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t eat wood, but they build their nests inside of wood or in the ground. Even though wood isn’t in their diet, they will eat just about anything in their path from dead insects to food scraps. That means they will sometimes come into a house to look for their next meal.

Odorous house ants

If you see ants invading your kitchen or bathroom, they are probably odorous house ants. They are small and brown or black in color and do not build mounds.

Pavement ants

These pests make their homes under patios, driveways, sidewalks, foundations and in mulch or logs in a garden. They can sting and bite.

Crazy ants

You may think of ants as moving in an organized line, but not these guys. Crazy ants move in chaotic patterns. They can be found anywhere, but in my neighborhood, there are usually a few colonies of them near the sidewalks around our local park.

How to get rid of ants

When it comes to ants, once you find one, there will dozens or even hundreds in and around your home. They are social and live in colonies. Similar to bees, they serve a queen or sometimes multiple queens. They feed on everything from insects to cheese to leaves. Just like us, they really like sweet sugary snacks.

Here are a few tips to keep them at bay:

• First, hire a professional like the Alpha Pest team. During regular service of your home or business, we will be on the lookout for ants near structures or in grassy areas.
• Make sure doors and windows have a tight seal. Adding caulking can help. Sometimes ants can also enter through a small opening in a stucco wall.
• Make sure there isn’t any standing water in and around your home or office. Ants, like many pests, are attracted to moisture.
• Store food in sealed containers and keep your kitchen counters clean and free of stray crumbs. Make sure there aren’t leftovers or crumbs in bedrooms or offices too.
• If you see them in a bathroom, make sure that there isn’t any extra space near wiring or pipes coming into the house from the outside that would allow entry. Keep the bathroom clean, especially the drains, and keep the cap on your toothpaste. Also, take care of leaks right away.
• Make sure your garbage bins have a lid on them, both in kitchens and bathrooms, and take out the trash frequently.

If you have an ant problem, don’t hesitate to call the Alpha Pest Control team. We can find a solution that is specific to your ant issues. Call or text us at 480-968-0414 or fill out our contact form.