Acrobats are actually a group of several species of small to medium-sized ants. Named the acrobat ant because of the way they carry their abdomens above the rest of the body as if they were conducting a balancing act.
Description:
around a 1/8th of an inch long
color: varies from yellowish brown to dark brown
heart-shaped abdomen is usually darker than the rest of the body
when threatened: the workers raise their abdomens
the species do produce winged, reproductive "swarmer" adults in the fall to reproduce and start new colonies
Finding their nests:
Outdoor nests may be found in:
damp soil beneath leaf or stones
dead trees limbs
decaying wood
firewood
hollow tree cavities
logs
stumps
Indoor Nests may be found inside:
foam insulating boards or sheathing
wood kept damp with water leaks
Note: Sawdust may develop as they excavate their nest as a sign of where it is
1. Remove nesting material outdoors when possible. Acrobat ants live in decaying trees, logs, branches, stumps, mulch, leaves, foam board, wall voids, old carpenter ant or termite nest, or any natural or man-made void. In order to prevent natural launching points for the little critters, remove all dead and decaying wood on the property. If you suspect that they are living in leaves or mulch, get rid of them as well. Trim back shrubs around the house since acrobat ants like to stay under cover when possible to avoid poaching by airborne predators. This will create a sunlight barrier between you and the ants.
2. Find the colony. Usually you can follow the trail of worker ants back to the colony. But if the trail is not obvious, take a piece of one inch squared aluminum foil or construction paper and put some sweet treats on it like honey or maple syrup. Make two or three, place them where you think the ants are getting into the house, and wait for the line to form. Repeat until you can follow a trail back to the nest. If you suspect the nest is in your walls, repeat the process indoors until you find their front door.
3. Pick your poison. Acrobat Ants do not seem to respond well to a lot of regular ant baits. They are a little too street smart. We recommend using Cypermethrin products. They can be dusted around the point of entry for the nest for harder surfaces. And when the nest is found in softer surfaces like mulch and leaves, liquid Cypermethrin products are the way to go. This will begin to kill the worker ants, which will disrupt the food, supply and will in turn, kill the entire colony.
Finally: Cover their tracks. Make sure that you cut off entry points into your house whenever possible. Using either Chalk or Baby Powder to confuse them ants by breaking their scent trails. Simple put down the non-corn starch baby powder anywhere they have been crawling on a horizontal surface or draw circles of chalk around any entry point on vertical surfaces. They little critters will either curl and drop upon contact or turn around, never to return.
For more information on getting rid of ants, please visit our website. Good luck!
Ken Mafli is a Washington State native and online content writer. For more information on getting rid of ants, please visit our website.