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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Ants (Formicoidea) » Ants (Formicidae) » Formicinae » Formicini » Wood ants, mound ants, & field ants (Formica) » rufa group (Formica rufa group)
Photo#751321
ants with large hills, northern Idaho - Formica
Copyright © 2013 tenney

ants with large hills, northern Idaho - Formica
Sandpoint, Northern County, Idaho, USA
March 15, 2013
We have two very large hills of these by are house we just bought. Some kind of wood ant? Inspector said we had signs of carpenter ant damage. So should I destroy these things? We got young children and they are very close to the house.

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ants with large hills, northern Idaho - Formica ants with large hills, northern Idaho - Formica ants with large hills, northern Idaho - Formica ants with large hills, northern Idaho - Formica
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Contributed by tenney on 15 March, 2013 - 8:59pm
Last updated 13 May, 2013 - 6:58am

A belated follow-up
These could give a person a pinchy-painful nip if their nest is bothered, but are otherwise harmless. They also consume large quantities of other insects, especially plant-fedding ones like caterpillars, various sap-feeding true bugs, and leaf and seed eating beetles.
… James C. Trager, 23 December, 2013 - 2:27pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Ants.
… James C. Trager, 13 May, 2013 - 6:58am login or register to post comments

*
Without a doubt this is the work of a Formica rufa group species. Which species? A confident identification would require some quality time with voucher specimens.
… Brendon E. Boudinot, 16 March, 2013 - 8:25pm login or register to post comments

Moved for expert attention
Moved from ID Request.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 15 March, 2013 - 9:08pm login or register to post comments

Looks like this could be...
...the work of the Thatching ant (Formica obscuripes):



These are not dangerous or destructive creatures. You may very well have carpenter ants, but they're not living in this mound.

Welcome to BugGuide!
… Ken Wolgemuth, 15 March, 2013 - 9:06pm login or register to post comments

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