Argentine Ants

Facts, Identification & Control

Latin Name

Linepithema humile


What do they look like?

argentine ant illustration
  • Color: Argentine ants range from light to dark brown
  • Size: Theymeasure about 2.2 to 2.8 mm long.
  • Head: Their antennae have 12 segments.

How Did I Get Argentine Ants?

Argentine ants are an invasive species known for displacing native ants. They are also one of the most troublesome home-infesting pests. Moist areas, like mulch, under debris on the ground, under piles of refuse and home foundations, attract Argentine ants. When the weather cools in fall, the pests may use gaps and cracks around the house to take shelter.

How Serious Are Argentine Ants?

Because Argentine ant nests support multiple queens, these pests breed rapidly and create huge colonies that can number into the hundreds of thousand of workers. Drawn to decay and waste, the insects spread bacteria wherever they go. Argentine ants feed by transferring food from mouth to mouth, making baits more effective than aerosol or liquid insecticides.


How Do I Get Rid of Argentine Ants?

What Orkin Does




Signs of an Argentine Ant Infestation

The foraging trails of Argentine ants are their most visible sign. The trails can be observed traveling up buildings, trees and into homes. Read more about Argentine Ant infestations.

Behavior, Diet & Habitat


Argentine ants are omnivorous, meaning that they can eat almost anything, but they prefer sweet foods.

Behavior & Habitat

Where do they live?



Argentine Ants Argentine Ants

Reproduction & Life Cycle


Nests & Colonies



Argentine ant queens are different and unusual when compared to queens of other ant species. Some of those dissimilarities and behavioral characteristics are:

  • Argentine ant queens are small, about 1/6 - 1/4 inches in length, much smaller than most other species of ant queens

Male Argentine ants hatch from the queen's unfertilized eggs and are fairly short lived. The single function of a male Argentine ant is to mate with a queen to preserve and proliferate the colony. The males usually die soon after mating.

More Information