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Little Black Ant: This may be the simplest, yet most appropriate, common name in the ant world. This tiny ant is frequently found foraging in trails in homes.
Identification: Little black ants, Monomorium minimum, are small ants whose workers are all the same size. They tend to look black and may appear to have blue reflections. The legs are tan. The body is smooth with no sculpturing and has numerous white hairs. This species might be confused with small foragers of big-headed ants or some species of fire ants (Pest Ants of Louisiana).
Biology: Nests are found in soil, stumps, logs and under rocks and bark. These ants are sometimes found in homes in search of water. They will feed on sweets and fats on kitchen counters. Little black ants have large colonies with thousands of workers and many queens.
Treatment: Bait in areas where they are a problem. Try sweet, liquid baits first. If they do not take the sweet baits or stop taking them, switch to a protein-based bait. Consider an insecticidal barrier treatment around the structure. Remove vegetation that touches the structure; these ants will use these as bridges into the structure.
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