36 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The little black ant^ is about ^4 of an inch long and though nor- 

 mally occurring under stones in yards, also invades the house in 

 considerable numbers. 



The pavement ant^ is about ^ of an inch long and is very com- 

 mon along the Atlantic seaboard. 



The large, black ant^ is the giant among our household ants. 

 It may be half an inch or more in length, is normally a wood feeder 

 and has frequently been designated as the carpenter ant. This 

 large species occasionally invades buildings, particularly in the 

 country, lives in the timbers and makes systematic levys upon the 

 food supplies of both kitchen and pantry. Occasionally this species 

 may become very abundant in a dwelling. 



Control measures. A house badly infested by ants, particularly 

 if a rather old building, might well be thoroughly fumigated with 



Fig. 19 Red ant: a, female; b, worker or neuter, enlarged. (After Riley) 



hydrocyanic acid gas, directions for which are given on page 48. 

 This method of treatment is especially good for the little red ant, 

 because its nests are usually in the walls of the building and there- 

 fore inaccessible. 



Aside from the fumigation mentioned above, the next most satis- 

 factory method of controlling these pests is to search for their nests 

 and destroy them so far as possible. This can be accomplished 

 only by ascertaining the origin of the continuous stream of ants 

 and is frequently impossible. The little black ant and the 

 pavement ant are very likely to build nests outdoors under stones. 

 Should the nests be found they can be destroyed by liberal applica- 

 tions of boiling water or spraying with kerosene. Outdoor nests 



^Monomorium minutum Mayr. 

 ^Tetramorium caespitum Linn. 

 ^Camponotus herculeanus Linn. 



