Linepithima humile

Appearance

• Workers about 2mm long.
• Light to dark brown in colour.
• Do not swarm.
• Bite – do not sting.

Lifecycle

• Worker ants produced in Spring and increase in numbers up until autumn.
• Winged ants, (reproductive Kings and Queens), produced in early Spring, before the workers, mature within three months and mate soon afterwards.
• Argentine ants mate in their nest so no swarming is seen.

Habits

• Worker ants will follow food trails for long distances so nests are not easy to track.
• They prefer sweet foods but will also eat live and dead insects, meats, cereals and damaged fruit.
• Argentine ants drive out other ant species from an area.