Thief Ants

The native thief ant (Solenopsis molesta) is found throughout the United States, but primarily in the eastern and central states. A very small ant, thief ants are easily confused with the Pharaoh ant. The best way to tell them apart is to look at the club on the end of the antenna with a magnifying glass and count the number of segments; thief ants have 2 segments, while Pharaoh ants have 3.

Thief ants are named for their habit of stealing food from the nests of other ants. They nest outside under debris, rocks, or logs. Indoors they nest in wall voids and behind baseboards. They are very small and can easily enter packaged foods, so food should be enclosed in tightly-sealed containers.

Locating thief ants' nests can be difficult and time-consuming because their small size can make it difficult to follow the trail. Thief ants feed on both protein and sweets and will tend aphids, mealybugs, and scales to obtain the honeydew they excrete.

All cracks in walls should be sealed to keep these ants from entering buildings. Patience is essential in managing the ants because the nest can be so hard to locate. Baits do not seem to be effective for thief ants since they tend not to eat enough bait to bring sufficient quantities back to the nest for it to work.

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