Top 4 Ant Species in Singapore Homes

Learning how to identify ant species in your home is important because then you would know their foraging (eating) habits, what time of the day they come out, and how to deal with its nests correctly. Mistakes are often made by Singapore households in getting rid of ants when repellent insecticides are used on them. This makes the situation worse than ever before.

If you are still not sure on how to look at ants, you are now able to look at ants in your home in a different light with this easy guide on Top 4 Ant Species in Singapore Homes today!

Ghost ants (or Sugar ants)

• How it looks like: - Dark head with translucent backside

• Does it bite or sting: - No

• What it eats: - Super sweet food, sugar-based

• Favourite nest location: - Found indoors especially moist environment like under kitchen sinks and in cabinets.

• Why do they come knocking on your door? - You may have poor housekeeping or eating habits in your home. Sweets, cookie crumbs and spilled sweet drinks that are not wiped up invites foraging worker ants to quickly establish an ant trail in your home.

• TIP: Wipe down the kitchen with soapy water. More housekeeping tips can be seen here.

Pharaoh’s ants

• How it looks like: - Yellow brownish in colour

• Does it bite or sting: - May bite, rarely sting

• What it eats: - Protein and oil-based food, forage actively after dark

• Favourite nest location: - Pharaoh’s ants nest indoors almost anywhere; for example, behind a stack of newspapers.

• Why do they come knocking on your door? - You may have a clean home, yet this does not mean your home is pest-free. Many opportunities are present for foraging ants for example, if you have food containers which are not tightly sealed enough. Find out more here on the varying reasons why a clean home does not mean pest-free.

• TIP: NEVER spray Pharaoh’s ants with repellent insecticide as it causes the colony to break up and make control even more difficult. Always seek professional help in dealing with Pharaoh’s ants in your home.

Crazy ants

• How it looks like: - Black and long-legged; crawls erratically in all directions when disturbed.

• Does it bite or sting: - No

• What it eats: - Feeds on wide variety of food but prefers sugar-based.

• Favourite nest location: - Nest outdoors under flower pots, crawling around walkway, corridors of buildings.

• Why do they come knocking on your door? - Crazy ants enter your homes from outdoors to forage indoors for food. They can be found on walkway pavements, gardens and ponds. So commonly found in Singapore, it can be quite challenging to keep them out once they manage to establish a food source in your home.

• TIP: You should try to reduce entry for these outdoor ants by removing tree branches adjacent to the building. Pest-proof your home by sealing all gaps, cracks and crevices to shut out entry for these crazy ants.

Carpenter ants

• How it looks like: - Large in size up to 17mm, body colour is not a good character for identification.

• Does it bite or sting: - No

• What it eats: - Honeydew and dead insects

• Favourite nest location: - Nest in trees and wood structures. As carpenter ants will bite through wood to hollow them out to build nest, and do not eat the wood. Thus, they are often mistaken for termites.

• Why do they come knocking on your door? - You may have a leaking pipe and/or attractive wood structures at home. Carpenter ants are attracted to areas with high moisture and they attack wood sculptures, landscapes to hollow out for a nest.

• TIP: Fix all leaking pipes at home and learn how to differentiate between ants and termites.

DIY ant remedies that may not work effectively

There are many DIY ant eradication remedies including the use of natural ingredient such as spices, condiments, chalk and even water flushing method, however these ants control methods will deter ants for a short while before regaining their sense of smell and navigation. Procrastinating proper ants elimination in the long term may result in worsening of the infestation, spread of colony and harm the health and safety of your family. Read more on what to call for professional pest control services.

Seek professional help in your pest control needs

Learning how to identify ant species is crucial for effective ant control. Especially when the level of infestation is high, all the more the correct species has to be identified and appropriate solutions be applied.

If you notice more serious signs of ants such as a never ending ant trail, ants in your food or even getting painful ant bites at home, it is time to contact a professional pest control company in Singapore.