Thief ant

This ant is nicknamed a "thief" because it commonly lives near the nests of other ants and "steals" their larvae and food to feed its own colony .

Identification

Golden yellow to dirty brown in color and only 1 to 1.5 mm long.

Common locations

The thief ant nests underground in rotting wood, and near foundation walls. It often “takes over” the nest of larger ants.

Diet

Prefers meat, grease, seeds, dead insects, rarely takes sweets except honeydew.

Additional Info

These ants are very tiny, said to be the smallest ants found infesting structures.