Identifying Rover Ant Infestations

In the past, rover ants were rarely considered as a pest ant. In recent years though, this ant has become more and more prevalent. A major reason that this species is thriving may be its ability to survive in a variety of habitats, especially disturbed sites. They do not bite or sting however; they can be a nuisance in areas where ants are not tolerable, particularly indoors.
Colonies are small ranging in from hundreds to a few thousands members. They contain only one queen per colony. Colonies usually nest in soil, rotting wood, and leaf litter, often under covering objects such as stones. These ants are very opportunistic, are habitat generalists. They are known to enter houses or other man-made structures to forage and/or nest. Occasionally these infestations may be quite large, with nests being found in the structure of the buildings, especially in bathrooms and kitchens, in light sockets and in electrical outlets, inside cinder blocks of exterior walls, under shingles, in potted plants, wall voids, and other harborages.