• Black carpenter ants: These are large black ants which chew through the wood in buildings to form tunnels and nests. They tend to prefer damp, humid areas since they need water (and wet/rotting wood is easier to build nests in). They don’t often bite humans, but when they do, it can hurt a lot.
• Argentine ants: Once found mostly in south American countries, Argentine ants aren’t harmful to humans, but their practice of using aphids makes them a danger in the garden.
• Pavement ants: These are the small, blackish/reddish ants you’ll see swarming on a curbside in the spring and summer. They create annoying little sand piles on your patio, but they generally aren’t harmful to humans. They will, however, take up residence in your home if you are not careful – and then they’ll start raiding the kitchen.
• Pharaoh ants: These are tiny but insidious, and one small colony can easily take over an entire office building. They don’t bite humans, but they can carry diseases like salmonella, which can be transmitted to humans, making them unpleasant to live with.
• Odorous house ants: If you’ve ever found a trail of black ants heading for a bit of fruit you dropped near the front door or some leftover food in the dog dish, you’re probably looking at odorous house ants, who get their name from the ‘rotting coconuts’ smell they produce when squished. Not particularly harmful to humans, but very annoying and persistent.
• Thief ants: Also known as grease ants because of their fondness for high-fat foods like cheese, thief ants are small and don’t bite humans – but they will contaminate stored food in the kitchen, so they should be eliminated indoors.

Why Are Ants In Your Home?

It’s not complicated: Ants, like other pests, are always on the lookout for food – and an easy way to get to it. If scouts find easy access to your home via cracks around windows and doors, they will come in and see what they can find. They are attracted to food which has been stored without being sealed, or unattended garbage, or even a room that consistently has half-eaten food (like a teenager’s bedroom or a rarely cleaned kitchen).