Argentine ants are a highly invasive pest that can quickly overwhelm homes and businesses in the Southeast. Known for building massive supercolonies, they spread rapidly and are extremely tough to manage. If you’ve noticed long trails of ants in your kitchen, panty, storage unit, or foodservice facility, you may be dealing with an Argentine ant infestation.
Color: Light to dark brown: sometimes shiny and slightly darker
Legs: Six
Size: ⅛ to ¼ inch
Antennae: Two elbowed antennae with 12 segments
Region: Widespread in North and South Carolina, as well as other southern states, California, and Hawaii.
Threats: They don’t bite, but they spread bacteria by walking through contaminated surfaces
Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are small, light to dark brown, and just ⅛ to ¼ inch long. As they’re so small, they can easily slip through gaps and cracks. They reproduce much faster than other ant species, as they form colonies with multiple queen ants.
Because they reproduce so rapidly, Argentine ants create satellite nests and merge into massive supercolonies that sometimes span hundreds of miles, overpowering native ants and other insects. This makes Argentine ants one of the most destructive invasive species in North America.
They usually nest in moist soil, under mulch, or near building foundations. Worker ants create well-organized trails along building walls, countertops, and plumbing lines, as they search for food and water.
The first sign of an Argentine ant infestation is usually long, busy trails of ants moving to food and water sources. Worker ants will line up along baseboards, countertops, and pipes, as well as on sidewalks, garden edges, or around foundations outside.
The nature of their supercolonies means a single nest can connect to dozens more, creating a vast network of thousands of ants that spread freely across properties and into neighboring structures.
Ant trails in bathrooms, break areas, hotel kitchens, and utility rooms can create discomfort, distract staff, and raise concerns about cleanliness. If trails reappear after using sprays or bait stations, it usually means the queens remain active and the main colony is probably untouched.
Call now to book your free inspection.
You may have Argentine ants because your property offers plenty of food, shelter, or moisture. They’ll usually nest in mulch, damp soil, and rotting wood, and enter buildings to find food.
They particularly like sweet or fermented products. Even a small lapse in sanitation can draw in 100s of foraging workers seeking a meal. Spilled juice, overripe fruit, crumbs in a break room, or leftovers in a canteen: they’re potential targets.
Once a trail is established, the rest of the colony quickly follows, so infestations to spread through multiple areas.
Due to the size of a single colony, minor attractants can fuel recurring problems. Without comprehensive Argentine ant control, their numbers will continue to grow until the infestation becomes immense.
Whether at home or in a commercial environment, the best way to prevent Argentine ants is to reduce what they want: food, moisture, and access points:
In sectors governed by FSMA, HACCP, or HARPC regulations, structured cleaning schedules and documented inspections help businesses maintain hygiene standards and meet municipal and state codes.
DIY methods, like ant repellent sprays or bait, may slow activity, but are less effective at eliminating the entire colony.
Professional treatments target both the queens and nests, making them a far more reliable way to get rid of Argentine ants on a more permanent basis.
Argentine ants don’t sting, and although they bite, it is not generally painful. However, they contaminate surfaces as they travel between garbage, drains, and food storage areas, picking up and spreading bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli. This can lead to serious illness, health violations, and failed audits in healthcare, hospitality, or food processing facilities. Any foodborne outbreak can compromise patient or customer safety, endanger staff, and result in negative customer experiences or online reviews.
Given the structure of Argentine ant colonies, with multiple queens and supercolonies, simple DIY methods such as sprays or ant bait may not be enough to solve the problem. Professional Argentine ant extermination targets the entire colony and helps prevent the ants from returning.
Argentine ants don’t damage wood or structures like carpenter ants; however, their large colonies can disturb soil under sidewalks, landscaping, or concrete slabs, leading to cracks and uneven surfaces. Crucially, their foraging trails contaminate workspaces, food surfaces, and packaging, damaging public image and customer trust in high-traffic, commercial, or municipal settings.
Visible ant activity can cause failed audits or inspection violations, leading to fines, temporary closures, or loss of health and safety certification, such as FSMA or HACCP. Moreover, nests can interfere with electrical components, wiring, and machinery, potentially leading to system failures and interrupting communications. These disruptions can harm customer-facing industries or care-based facilities responsible for patient well-being.
At Gregory Pest Solutions, our technicians are experts at managing Argentine ants and their expansive supercolonies. We begin with a detailed inspection to locate nests, identify entry routes, and determine what attracts the ants inside.
We then create a tailored plan for Argentine ant extermination, targeting the queens and disrupting the colony at source. For comprehensive long-term ant defense, our team also offers prevention advice on sealing entry points and minimizing attractants to help deter future infestations.
With professional Argentine ant control from Gregory Pest Solutions, you can protect your property, maintain hygiene standards, and lower the risk of recurring infestations.
If you’re struggling with Argentine ants, Gregory Pest Solutions provides comprehensive services throughout North and South Carolina. Whether treating active infestations or bolstering prevention measures, our experts will protect your property and help keep ants under control.
Don’t let Argentine ants put your property at risk. Contact us today to schedule a visit, and we’ll design a customized solution to safeguard your building and the people who use it.
When inside, they build nests in walls, insulation, and under floors. When outside, they build nests under flat stones, sidewalks, and concrete slabs.
They’re very small, about ⅛ to ¼ inch long. But their vast colonies make them highly visible once infestations take hold, often with thousands of worker ants trailing at once.
It’s a massive network of connected nests with multiple queen ants. Supercolonies can cover wide areas—sometimes 100s of miles—so ants can spread quickly across neighborhoods and facilities.
Seal cracks, store food securely, and fix leaks that create moisture. Regular inspections and cleaning routines go a long way toward keeping conditions less attractive to invasive ants.
The most effective solution targets not just the ants you see, but the hidden queen ants and the whole colony. Professional Argentine ant extermination provides longer-lasting, more powerful and more effective results than surface treatments alone.
Call as soon as you notice recurring trails, ants around food prep areas, or activity spreading to multiple rooms. Acting early helps prevent supercolonies establishing themselves and causing larger problems.