Queen Pavement Ants Stock Image

Brown to black with pale brown legs and antennae, 1/8-inch long pavement ants can be seen swarming over sidewalks and patios in the spring when they are most active. Opportunistic feeders, these basically harmless ants will eat almost anything, swarming over foods found as they forage. Although pavement ants nest in the ground under stones and building slabs, large numbers may swarm into buildings built on concrete slabs, particularly in the spring. Pavement ant colonies are typically small with several queens but their swarming behavior can make pavement ants a considerable nuisance. The inaccessibility of their nests under concrete slabs can make extermination difficult.