{"id":8649,"date":"2019-03-28T13:47:26","date_gmt":"2019-03-28T17:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/?page_id=8649"},"modified":"2024-04-26T15:29:03","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T19:29:03","slug":"pavement-ants","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/fact-sheets\/common-name-listing\/pavement-ants\/","title":{"rendered":"Pavement Ants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pavement ants \/ (Immigrant) Pavement ants<\/strong> (Tetramorium<\/em> immigrans<\/em>) 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 They are sometimes a problem in greenhouses for that very reason.<\/p>\n\n\t\t