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Tiny ants in the kitchen? Meet Florida’s ants.
Florida has dozens of kinds of ants, and a few of them love our homes. Here’s how to tell the common ones apart, why spraying the ones you see doesn’t stop them, and what we do about them in Bradenton and Sarasota.
$125one-time treatment, inside and out, any size home.
Which ant is it?
The six we run into most around Bradenton and Sarasota.
| Ant | What it looks like | Where you’ll see it |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost ant | Tiny (about 1/16 inch), with a dark head and a pale, see-through body and legs | Kitchen counters, bathroom sinks, potted plants and baseboards |
| White-footed ant | Small and black, with pale whitish feet | Long trails along the outside walls, rooflines and windows, then into kitchens |
| Fire ant | Reddish-brown, in several sizes in the same nest | Dirt mounds in lawns and beds, especially after rain. Painful stings. |
| Florida carpenter ant | Big, with a reddish-orange front half and a black back half. Often called bull ants. | At night, along trees, fences, eaves and damp wood |
| Big-headed ant | Small and brown; some workers have oversized heads | Little piles of sand along sidewalks, patios, pavers and slab edges |
| Crazy ant | Small, dark and long-legged, running in fast, jerky zigzags | Indoors and out, often in big numbers near moisture |
Why ants come back after you spray
Spray kills the ants you can see, but the ones on the counter are a small part of the colony. The queens and the rest of the nest are in a wall, under the slab or out in the yard.
Some of Florida’s most common house ants, like ghost ants and white-footed ants, live in lots of connected nests with many queens. Disturb one and they can simply move or split into more. That’s why we follow the trails back toward where they’re coming from, and treat there.
Where we treat
The trails
We follow the trails back toward where they’re coming in and treat along the way.
Around the outside
The foundation, slab edges, doors, windows and the gaps around pipes and wires.
Fire ant mounds
We treat mounds in the yard and the trails that lead toward the house.
Patios, lanais and pavers
Ants love the sand under pavers and the edges of patios and pool decks, so we treat there too.
Ant questions
Ask Pete anything else, day or night, in English or Spanish.
What are the tiny ants in my kitchen?
In Florida, tiny ants with a dark head and a pale, almost invisible body are usually ghost ants. Small black ants with pale feet are often white-footed ants. Both love kitchens and bathrooms.
Do fire ants come inside?
Sometimes, especially after heavy rain or during dry spells, and they’ll follow cracks in the slab. Most of the time they stay in mounds in the yard.
Are flying ants a sign of termites?
Not always. Ants and termites both swarm. Ants have pinched waists, bent antennae and front wings longer than the back ones. See our termite swarmer guide for the full side-by-side.
How much is ant treatment?
Ants are covered by our one-time pest treatment ($125, any size home, inside and out) and by the quarterly plan ($475 a year).
More bug guides
Palmetto bugs
Why big roaches show up after rain, and how to keep them out.
Termite swarmers
Wings on the windowsill? Termites or flying ants, and what to do.
Pest control
Inside and out, $125 one-time or $475 a year for the quarterly plan.
Ready when you are.
Pick an open weekday and arrival window online, or text us at 941-896-2852 for the fastest reply, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
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Ants marching through the kitchen?We follow the trail back to where they come in.
One-time treatment $125