Pavement Ants

Pavement ants / (Immigrant) Pavement ants (Tetramorium immigrans) are very small, docile ants that are encountered frequently by Maine homeowners. They enter structures through cracks (especially cracks in foundations and concrete slabs), and they like to nest in the soil under the floors of homes or offices, or under sidewalks, driveways, stones, logs, etc.  They will travel upwards of 30 feet from their colony in search of food, and they feed on a great variety of things, including sugary items such as nectar and fruits, meats, grains such as breads and crackers, food garbage, other insects, pollen, pet food and nuts, to name but a few.  They are not structurally damaging to homes or buildings, but have been known to girdle and subsequently kill many garden plants (brassicas, tomatoes, carrots, etc.) when food is in short supply in order to feed on the sap.  They are sometimes a problem in greenhouses for that very reason.

Closeup of a Pavement Ant showing a red circle around each of its two nodes, and arrows pointing to a pair of small spines found on the back of the thorax.ement ants helps to differentiate them from the rest of the group. The spines are absent on thief and Pharaoh ants. Acrobat and European red ants both possess a pair of spines on the thorax, but they are proportionally longer compared to those found on pavement ants.
There are other small ants that have two nodes (Acrobat ants, European Red ants, Thief ants and Pharaoh ants), but the size and presence of two small spines on the thorax of pavement ants helps to differentiate them from the rest of the group. The spines are absent on thief and Pharaoh ants. Acrobat and European red ants both possess a pair of spines on the thorax, but they are proportionally longer compared to those found on pavement ants.

Additional Information about Pavement Ants:

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