Insects, Spiders, Mice & More
Large Yellow Ant Id
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Large Yellow Ant (Acanthomyops interjectus)
(Also Called a "Citronella Ant" or "Foundation Ant")
Description of Workers: Medium-sized workers, 1/4-inch (7mm). Easily recognized by their yellow-orange color. The ants smell like citronella or "lemon-like" when crushed.
Habits:
The Large yellow ant is a soil nesting ant. They construct nests in soil under logs, rocks, patio blocks, porches, concrete patios and more. These ants may also be found in open areas of soil. The ants often excavate large amounts of soil as they build their galleries. If the colony is under a concrete slab of a structure, the soil may continue to pile up. These ants swarm nearly any time of the year and swarming may occur inside buildings when colonies are located next to or under the structure.
Management:
Management involves locating and treating colonies. The type of treatment depends on colony location. If the colony is under a cement slab, it may be necessary to drill through the slab and inject insecticide into the soil. It would be best to hire a pest control professional who has experience with termite treatments for this type of treatment. If the colony is in the soil, drench the colony with diluted insecticide, labeled for this purpose. Baits are not effective for this ant. For ants swarming indoors, use a vacuum.
To view more photos of Large Yellow Ants, visit UNL Entomology Department Images
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This resource was updated November 2015 by Soni Cochran, Extension Associate
Credits: Ant illustrations were developed by Vicki Jedlicka, Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County
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