![]() Make four to six channels into the nest by pushing a metal rod or wood dowel as deep as possible. To treat the colony, rake away excess surface debris from the mound. To control field ants, use a liquid insecticide containing cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, bifenthrin, carbaryl (Sevin) or permethrin. Thus, surface insecticide treatments will not be effective. The challenge is that in large mounds, the queen can be as deep as two to three feet underground. If colonies occur in landscape settings, the only way to eliminate the colony is to kill the queen. They exclusively collect food outdoors and feed on live and dead insects, as well as on aphid honeydew.Ĭontrol: There is no need to control field ants in areas where there is no human activity. Each colony contains a queen ant that lays all of the eggs that develop into sterile females (workers) and males (drones). Life Cycle: Field ant colonies can survive for 10 or more years. Finally, if disturbed, field ants can give painful, pinch–like bites to people and pets. In addition, some species of field ants can kill herbaceous and woody plants that shade their mounds by injecting formic acid into the plants’ roots. Mounds are unsightly, can prevent turf growth and can be a hazard when lawns are mowed. Mounds can be three to four feet wide and over two feet tall. Some species are black, while others are a combination of black and red.ĭamage/Effects: Field ants most commonly cause problems when they produce mounds, the aboveground portions of their colonies/nests. This ant is noted for producing large mounds that can ruin the aesthetics of home lawns, make lawn mowing difficult, and interfere with the growth of herbaceous and woody ornamentals.Īppearance: Field ants are medium to large ants, ranging in size from 1⁄5 to ⅜ inches in length. One of the most common ants in Wisconsin is the field ant (Formica spp.). ![]() Field ants can produce mounds that are three to four feet wide and over two feet tall
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