Thief ants are unfortunately found here in the Wichita area. Thief ants possess small stingers on their oblong shaped abdomens. They have two-segmented petiole connecting their thorax to their abdomens. These pests range anywhere between 0.5 mm and 3 mm long. The queens measure just over 5mm and appear to be yellow to light brown in color. Workers are mostly yellow in color but can rarely take on a pale brown hue.
Thief ants get their names from their tendency to nest close to other ant nests, this allows them to steal food or even eat the larvae and pupae of other ant species if their favorite food sources are in short supply. Their favorite meal is usually grease. They are nick-named grease ants for this reason. They will also feast on meat, dairy products, especially cheese and seeds. They will sometimes consume fruits but sweets are not very attractive to them.
Queens and drones have wings and mating occurs in flight. Queens can lay anywhere from 27 to 387 eggs per day, but the usual average is normally around 105. It takes about 52 days for an egg to become a fully active worker. At this rate an infestation of thousands would not really take too much time. These rapidly expanding colonies can survive just about anywhere and could go undetected in your home. They can set up colonies in cracks, under floorboards or anywhere that offer them food and shelter. Outside they can be found in rotting logs or under rocks.
Thief ants can be extremely troublesome in human structures as they are small and can get places other pests might have difficulty. They are also hard to find because they love to make nests in inaccessible locations. Thief ants can be very difficult to eradicate from your home, you will need a quality pest control professional to identify these pests and provide the unique treatment needed for this particular specie of ant. All Star Pest Control is trusted in Wichita to provide this service with experience and professionalism. Call today! 316-847-6115
