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Argentine Ant (Linepithema humile)
Identify it, prevent it, and know when to call. A South Florida guide from Pro-Spray.
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What Is an Argentine Ant?
The Argentine ant is an invasive ant from South America that has spread to warm climates worldwide. It's famous for forming huge "supercolonies," where neighboring nests cooperate instead of fighting. In Florida, Argentine ants are more widespread in the northern and central parts of the state than in South Florida, where white-footed and ghost ants usually dominate. When they do show up here, they're known for wide, heavy trails that run for long distances.
How to Identify Them
Workers are small, uniformly brown and all about the same size. They have one node between the thorax and abdomen. They give off a faint musty or greasy smell when crushed, but not the strong rotten-coconut odor of odorous house ants. Their trails are often several ants wide and very fast-moving.
Common look-alikes:
- Odorous house ant: similar size and color, with a strong smell when crushed. See odorous house ant.
- White-footed ant: black with pale feet. See white-footed ant.
- Caribbean crazy ant: reddish-brown and hairy, with erratic movement.
Life Cycle and Habits
Colonies have many queens and spread by budding. Nests are often shallow and shift with the weather, moving into homes during heavy rain or drought. Argentine ants prefer sweets, especially honeydew from aphids and scale insects, but also eat proteins. They're aggressive toward other ant species and can push them out of an area.
Signs of Argentine Ants
- Wide, steady trails along sidewalks, curbs, tree trunks and foundations
- Ants entering through door frames, windows and plumbing
- Large numbers in kitchens after rain
- Ants tending aphids or scale on landscape plants
Is it dangerous?
- Contamination
Nuisance and food contamination; don't sting.
Why They Show Up in Homes
Irrigated landscaping and honeydew-producing insects on plants feed big outdoor populations. Weather swings drive them inside for water or shelter.
Prevention Tips
- Have a licensed lawn and ornamental provider address aphids, scale and mealybugs on landscape plants.
- Trim branches and shrubs away from the house.
- Keep mulch thin near the foundation.
- Seal gaps around windows, doors and pipes.
- Avoid repellent sprays that break up trails and scatter colonies.
How Pro-Spray Treats Argentine Ants
We follow trails to nesting areas and use baits plus non-repellent perimeter treatments that ants carry back to the colony. Because colonies are so large and connected, ongoing quarterly service is the most reliable way to keep them out.
Why Spraying Trails Backfires
When you spray a trail of Argentine ants with a store-bought insecticide, you kill the workers you see but leave the queens and brood untouched. Because the colony is spread across many cooperating nests, the survivors simply reroute, and repellent sprays can split nests into more locations. Slow-acting baits and non-repellent products work with the ants' behavior instead of against it: foragers carry the product back and share it through the network. Expect several weeks for numbers to drop.
Keeping a few sealed bait stations in place between visits can also help catch new foragers early.
We'll confirm the species first.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are Argentine ants common in South Florida?
Do Argentine ants bite or sting?
Why do they come inside after rain?
What's a supercolony?
Reviewed October 2026 by Pro-Spray's family-run team
Pests don't wait.
Protect your home today.
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