8 replies to this topic

[BrittonLS]

1. Location of collection: Seems to be nesting in a space between bricks in the wall on my house outside.
2. Date of collection: 7/07/15
3. Habitat of collection: Foraging along the wall of my house
4. Length (from head to gaster): Major 5mm, Minor 4mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Brown with black gaster
6. Distinguishing characteristics: Shiny, 11 segment antenna (pretty sure)
8. Nest description: Between cracks in brick wall on house, just beneath the roof.

 

I believe I got a major and a minor. Or just a big one and a small one XP

I've never seen these around my house before. I'm wondering if it's a brand new colony and or new satellite nest. Today I saw several scouting around along the walls. It is probably going to be a problem having them there, not to mention having carpenter ants in your house, even in the brick is probably not good. Any suggestions besides poisoning them? Think there's anyway I might negotiate them out of there?

 

Minor Album: http://imgur.com/a/IpIjT

 

Major Album: http://imgur.com/a/zUmYr

 

I'm thinking it's Camponotus discolor

Can someone confirm my guess?

[Ants4fun]

Negotiating Carpenter ants will be really tough... I would call an exterminater.

[cpman]

Looks like like that or C. sayi. Those both look like minors or media. The majors have noticeably larger heads than the minors.

Edited by cpman, July 8 2015 - 11:40 AM.

[James C. Trager]

Anst4fun exaggerates the problem. These small subgenus Myrmentoma "carpenter" ants pose no danger. They live in cracks and burrows formed by other causes and do not excavate wood except to clean up their nests a little. 

[BrittonLS]

Yeah, they aren't actually in wood, they're in a crack at the chimney so there shouldn't even be wood behind it. My dad plans on just spraying poison in the crack and sealing it up, mostly because it's close to our backdoor so there's a good chance they might start wandering inside. 

 

I'll have to take a closer look at it, maybe I can get at them somehow.

 

Looks like like that or C. sayi. Those both look like minors or media. The majors have noticeably larger heads than the minors.

 

It might be C. sayi.  C.discolor seems to have more hair on its face like a beard that these do not have. I'll see if I can't find any large headed ants, but like I said I think it may be a new colony.

[cpman]

That makes sense. The nanitics my C. sayi queen has are only 4 mm -- normal workers around here are closer to 5, and majors are closer to 7-8.

[BrittonLS]

And now suddenly there are Crematogaster too along the same place >.> 

I assume they were drawn out by the rain earlier today

Edited by BrittonLS, July 8 2015 - 2:24 PM.

[cpman]

Crematogaster laeviuscula, in case you were wondering.

[Ants4fun]

Oh, I didn't read the size, I assumed they where large ants such as novaeboracensis or bicolor, ect. Yes, as Dr. Traver said, those small Camponotus usually live in preformed nests. I find those ants like old termite nests.