Identifying Big-headed Ant Infestations

As with most ants, the most common sign of a big-headed ant infestation is the worker ants. The big-headed ant can be found nesting in disturbed soils, lawns, flowerbeds, under objects, such as bricks, cement slabs, rocks, logs, or flower pots, around trees or water pipes, along the base of structures, and walkways, where displaced soil is usually observed from the action of ants digging below the surface.

Well-cared-for lawns may have big head ant infestations that are less noticeable, except along the edges where lawns meet walkways where piles of soil are often deposited. Big-headed ant populations expand into neighboring areas by following along these lawn-walkway edges or roadways. Big-headed ants can quickly move into new areas to establish nests and kick out other ant populations. Control of the big-headed ant is difficult because the ant colonies are numerous and populations usually extend across property lines.