Thief ants are very tiny ants; workers are never more than 1/16-inch long. The thorax lacks distinct spines, the petiole has two nodes, and there is a small stinger at the tip of the abdomen. Thief ants are yellow to light brown and look much like Pharaoh ants. These two ants are easily distinguished because thief ants have a large two-segmented club at the tip o the antenna; Pharaoh ants have a three-segmented club. Thief ants also have very small eyes.
APPEARANCE: Very small; Light yellow to red, with black markings on abdomen.
REPRODUCTION AND LIFE CYCLE: Grows from egg to adult in about 45 days;females live as long as 39 weeks and can lay about 400 eggs; workers only live up to 10 weeks. Pharaoh ants being extremely small can be found in a diversity of places appearing suddenly.They have a wide range of foraging and their nest are usually well hidden.They are very persistent, with large colonies.
HABITAT: Inside they are usually found in the kitchen and bathrooms, but workers are seen trailing along window sills, and baseboards. They can also be spotted near sources of water in the kitchen and bathrooms, counter tops, toilets,drains and sinks. They prefer to nest in recessed areas like wall voids,under some appliance, wall outlets, under carpet for protection. Can nest outdoors in lawns and gardens.
DIET: If the current ant bait that you are using is not acceptable to the ants, if they are not visiting the bait, it is recommended that you change the baits. Ants require carbohydrates-sugars, proteins and greases. They find a variety of these sources in nature. Examples are: other insects(proteins and greases), nectar, aphid honeydew, plant products(sugar and carbohydrates) Choosing a bait would require knowing what they are currently feeding off of, according to the nutritional needs of the colony. To be sure that you have all the baiting needs met, you may want to be ready with a sugar-carbohydrate bait, a grease-fat bait, and a protein based bait. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMOVE ANY OTHER FOOD COMPETITION WHEN BAITING AND LEAVE THE BAIT ALONE ONCE THE ANTS START FEEDING ON IT.
