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What are ants?
Ants are social insects that are found living all throughout the United States; in the Ventura County area alone, there are over 270 species of ants. Depending on their exact species, these ants will vary in appearance, behavior, food preferences, and habitat. All species of ants, however, have three distinct body regions: head, thorax, and abdomen.
Some of the most common species of ants living throughout Ventura County areas, they are listed below:
Acrobat ants
Acrobat ants received their name from a unique behavior they display. When disturbed, they will raise their heart-shaped abdomens over their heads and thoraxes. Acrobat ants vary in color from light brown to black.
Carpenter ants
These large ants are most commonly black, although some can be red, yellow, or even a combination of those colors. As their name suggests, these ants build tunnels and nests inside of wood.
Fire ants
Fire ants are are dark brown in color; they are small in size, but big in attitude. These ants are easily agitated and tend to attack anything or anyone they view as a threat to their nest. Fire ants rarely nest indoors.
Little black ants
As their names describes, these ants are little and black, although some tend to be more of a dark brown color. Their small size allows them to easily find their way into homes and other buildings while out foraging for food.
Odorous house ants
Odorous house ants are small in size and are generally brown to black in color. They are typically identified by the foul odor they emit when crushed, usually likened to that of a rotting coconut.
Pharaoh ants
These ants are light tan to red and are tiny in size; adults only grow to about 1/16 of an inch long. Pharaoh ants prefer to nest indoors and are rarely found living outside throughout California.