Pavement ants often go unnoticed until you spot sand piles near cracks or walls. While they’re not aggressive, they can become a nuisance when they enter buildings in search of food. Indoors, they’re often seen traveling in well-organized trails toward sweet or greasy foods, and outdoors, you might notice small piles of sand or soil pushed up from their nests near cracks and edges.
The pavement ant is a small, dark brown to black ant commonly found in cities across the U.S. It gets its name from its habit of nesting in cracks in pavement, sidewalks, and driveways.
Pavement ants (sometimes referred to as cement ants, slab ants, or concrete ants) are small and dark, usually dark brown or blackish in color. As their name suggests, they’re commonly found on the pavement or on concrete. So if you’re finding ants on your sidewalk or driveway, they may be pavement ants. They grow to about 1/8 of an inch long and have six legs.
If you look closely, you’ll see these particular ants have two tiny spines on their back and two nodes on the part of the body called the petiole, which helps separate the front and back halves. Their thorax isn’t smooth – it has an uneven shape with a single pair of spines. Both the head and thorax have fine grooves that can be seen under magnification. Another helpful way to identify pavement ants is by their antennae: they have 12 segments, with the last three making up a distinct club.
When pavement ants swarm, the winged ants are often confused with termites, but there are differences. Pavement ant swarmers have a narrow waist, elbowed antennae, and two pairs of venous wings that are not equal in size. Termite swarmers have no waist constriction, straight antennae, and two pairs of drab wings of the same size. If you see winged ants indoors, it could be a sign that a colony is nearby or even inside.
Like other ants, pavement ants live in colonies made up of workers, queens, and developing young. The colony starts when a fertilized queen finds a nest site and begins laying eggs. These eggs hatch into larvae, which become pupae and grow into adult ants.
Workers care for the young and gather food, while the queen’s main job is to lay more eggs. Colonies can grow over time to include thousands of ants. While they generally stay hidden during the day, you might notice increased activity around food sources.
These ants are particularly visible in spring and summer, though they have been known to emerge at any time of the year in heated structures. Warmer weather triggers their swarming season, which is when reproductive ants leave the nest to start new colonies. You might see flying ants near windows or doors during this time.
In cooler months, especially in colder regions, pavement ants slow down. You might still see them in kitchens and bathrooms in winter, especially if moisture or crumbs are present.
Pavement ants get their name from where they usually live, but they’re not limited to sidewalks. They can nest in all sorts of hidden areas and eat a wide variety of foods.
Outdoors, pavement ant nests tend to appear in lawns or under stones, wood, or boards. You might also find pavement ant mounds built along sidewalks, baseboards, and near foundations in clusters, and some colonies can also be found near water.
Indoors, they move into quiet spaces like wall voids, under floors, or inside insulation, and they’re especially drawn to buildings with consistent warmth, moisture, and food access. These ants are often seen looking for food, especially at night, and may move through pipes and electrical wires.
Pavement ants aren’t picky: they eat almost anything that humans eat and also pet food. Indoors, they’ll go after anything left out on counters, under appliances, or in trash bins. Even pet food or crumbs in break rooms can attract them.
Outdoors, the ants feed on insects, seeds, and any food scraps they come across, and once they find a good food source, they leave a scent trail so other ants in the colony can follow. This is why you often see them moving in long, organized lines.
While you might be able to deal with the ants you see, getting rid of pavement ants long-term is much harder. These ants often nest in multiple areas and can move between locations if disturbed.
You can take steps to make your property less appealing to pavement ants, but remember that prevention isn’t always enough. Start by cleaning up crumbs and spills quickly. Store food in airtight containers, and don’t leave dirty dishes or trash uncovered.
You can also try fixing leaking pipes or dripping faucets that attract ants to bathrooms, kitchens, or utility rooms. Outdoors, keep plants, mulch, and firewood away from the foundation. It also helps to seal gaps and cracks around doors, windows, and vents.
These actions may help reduce your risk, but once ants have moved in, professional ant control is often needed to remove these pests fully and prevent them from coming back.
Whether you’re dealing with pavement ants or ghost ants, odorous house ants, carpenter ants, and more, Presto-X has you covered. Our ant control technicians know where to look and how to treat pavement ants at the source. We provide inspections, targeted treatments such as ant baits and pesticidal dust, and prevention plans built to suit your needs.
Pavement ants aren’t harmful like some pests because they don’t bite or spread disease, but they can still cause problems. They contaminate food, invade kitchens, and can become a nuisance in businesses or homes.
These ants are most attracted to food and moisture. Crumbs, spills, pet food, grease, and even sugary drinks can bring pavement ants indoors. They’re also drawn to warm areas and buildings with easy entry points, like cracks in foundations or gaps under doors, especially during cooler months.
Pavement ants are small, dark brown or black ants. These ants like to nest under concrete, so if you find ants on your driveway, sidewalk, or under building foundations, they may be pavement ants.
Pavement ants do have stingers, but they rarely use them, and their sting isn’t strong enough to harm people. They’re not aggressive and are more interested in finding food than causing trouble.