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Color: Usually red, black or a combination
Legs: 6
Shape: Segmented; oval
Size: ¼ – ¾ inch long
Antennae: Yes
Region: Found throughout the U.S.; most common in the North

Carpenter ants get their name because they excavate wood in order to build their nests. Their excavation results in smooth tunnels inside the wood. These are large ants ranging in size from one-quarter inch for a worker ant to up to three-quarters inch for a queen.
Habits

Carpenter ants typically attack wood that is or has been wet. They usually come into structures through cracks around doors and windows, holes in a structure meant for wires, or through wet, damaged wood. They will also crawl along overhead wires, shrubs or tree limbs that touch the building far above the ground. Carpenter ants build their nests in various wood sources including tree stumps, fence posts, firewood or landscaping. A colony can have multiple nests inside structures as well as outdoors. Carpenter ants need a constant water source to survive.
Habitat

Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, firewood or landscaping. They need a constant water source to survive. Carpenter ants will enter the house through wet, damaged wood.
Threats

Carpenter ants damage wood through their nest building. Over time, an infestation can cause serious structural damage to a property.
Prevention

Carpenter ants require a water source. To prevent black carpenter ants in the house, eliminate sources of moisture or standing water. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house. Sometimes pests use these branches to get into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or little openings around the bottom of your house. Sometimes pests use these to get into your home. Make sure that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home. Carpenter ants like to build nests in stacks of wood.

Color: Dark brown to blackish
Legs: 6
Shape: Segmented; oval
Size: 3/16 – 1/8 inch long
Antennae: Yes
Region: Found throughout the eastern half of the U.S., California and Washington

Pavement ants get their name because they make their nests in or under cracks in pavement. However, they can also infest structures. Pavement ant colonies are moderately large, averaging around 4,000 workers with several queens.
Habits

These ants will eat almost anything, including other insects, seeds, honeydew, honey, bread, meats, nuts and cheese. In buildings, they are most likely to be found in ground-level masonry walls of foundations, but they will occasionally nest in walls, insulation and under floors, and near heat sources in the winter. They enter buildings through cracks in the slab and walls, as well as through natural openings. Outside, these ants typically nest under stones, pavement cracks and next to buildings.
Habitat

Horse flies are typically woodland or forest dwellers. Species usually feed during full daylight and are most evident on windless, hot, sunny days. In general, larvae develop in wet soil close to bodies of water.
Threats

These black pavement ants do not pose a public health risk, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided. If you notice pavement ants in your property, contact an ant pest control specialist.
Prevention

Pests, such as pavement ants, are attracted to moisture. To prevent black pavement ants, eliminate standing water around the home. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house. Sometimes pavement ants use these branches to get into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or little openings around your house. Ensure firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home because pavement ants like to build nests in stacks of wood. Indoors, clean up spills and crumbs on counter tops and kitchen floors.

Color: Dark brown to black; shiny
Legs: 6
Shape: Small oval
Size: 1/16 – 1/4 of an inch
Antennae: Yes
Region: Mainly Southeastern U.S. states

Argentine ant colonies can grow to monumental size. A single colony can contain several hundred thousand workers with the colony borders sometimes cover entire habitats. These dark brown to black ants give off a musty odor when crushed.
Habits

Argentine ants deposit trails of food continuously, instead of just from nest to food source. This habit ensures they do not waste time revisiting the same area for food. Argentine ants prefer to eat sweets, but they will eat almost anything including meats, eggs, oils and fats.
Habitat

Argentine ants prefer to eat sweets such as honeydew, but they will eat almost anything including meats, eggs, oils and fats. Their colonies are usually found in wet environments near a food source. Outdoors, they usually build shallow nests under boards or stones, beneath plants or alongside sidewalks. When conditions in their natural environment are either too wet or too dry, Argentine ants may seek shelter indoors, where they often nest near water pipes, sinks or potted plants.
Threats

Argentine ants do not pose a health threat, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided.
Prevention

Pests, such as Argentine ants are attracted to moisture. To prevent Argentine ants, eliminate standing water around the property. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the home or building. Sometimes pests like Argentine ants use these branches to get inside. Make sure that there are no cracks or little openings around the bottom of the structure. Ensure firewood and building materials are not stored next to the structure, because Argentine ants like to build nests in stacks of wood.