Ghost ants get their name from the fact that because of their pale color and tiny size, they can be hard to see. They’re a tropical species (most likely of African or Asian origin). In the United States, ghost ants can be found in Central and Southern Florida as well as in Hawaii. They can’t survive in northern states, unless they’re in greenhouses or heated spaces. They can get into your home through openings around your doors and windows, as well as through any cracks in your foundation. Sometimes, they can be accidentally brought inside from infested plants. Once they’re in your home, they will feed on sweets (such as sugar, cereal, and syrup). They’ll often appear on kitchen or bathroom counters and sinks. They will build nests both indoors and out, as well as in your walls and the spaces in your kitchen cabinets.
What Ghost Ants Look Like
Ghost ants look like tiny, white apparitions that suddenly appear then seem to vanish just as quickly, and you can find them both indoors and outdoors. You’ll typically find them in kitchens and bathrooms, because ghost ants in your house will look for areas that have plenty of moisture. They’re similar to odorous house ants, which are completely brown or black in color. Workers are 1/16 of an inch in length. The legs, pedicel, gaster, and antennae are also pale (almost translucent) in color, but the head and thorax are darker in color. That’s why, in some areas, they’re also called “black-headed ants.”
Behavior and Diet of Ghost Ants
Ghost ants will have moderate-to-large colonies with many queens. New colonies will get started by budding where one or more fertile females, several workers, as well as some larvae or pupae will migrate to an area that would make a good nesting site. Their biology is similar to pharaoh ants, because they’re very flexible and can adapt to a number of nesting locations. Outside, they can be found under bark, the bases of plant pots, or under tufts of grass. Inside, you can find them in spaces between baseboards and cabinetry. There may be several sub-units of ghost ant colonies — all of them with multiple queens. Ghost ants will often eat sweets, grease, and other sources of protein. They will also be ready to eat honeydew and honeydew-excreting insects (both alive and dead). While they’re a tropical species, they can be found in greenhouses in norther states.
How to Get Rid of Ghost Ants
To find ghost ants in your house, look for trails and nests, which can be both inside and outside. If you find an indoor nest, the best way to get ghost ants under control is to bait because sprays tend to scatter most colonies. If you do decide to spray indoors, be sure to use a non-repellent spray called Spectre PS or Phantom Aerosol because they can’t be detected by ants. With a crack or crevice tip, these aerosol sprays can get into the tiny spaces in which these ants tend to live. For outdoor locations, baiting is also the preferred method. But you can also use a non-repellent spray that won’t be detected by the ants. They will kill the ants on contact, but foraging ants can also track it back to the nest during their grooming process.
If you have a colony of ghost ants in your home and you need to find a place that provides quality pest control in Corpus Christi, be sure to reach out to Bug Busters Pest Control.