Size, Shape and Colour: These ants are approximately 4mm in length. The queen is 2-4 times the size of the worker ants. They are normally light to dark brown in colour. After a large feed the abdomen may appear silvery. These ants have a lack of spines on their thorax and one dark coloured node. When crushed they produce a faint grease-like odour. Males are winged and can sometimes be seen foraging alongside the workers.
Biology: Queens can live up to 10 years and lay about 60 eggs a day. The colony will not self-destruct when the queen dies as other queens are created to take its’ place. There are as many as eight queens for every 1,000 workers. Their nests are found outdoors in mounds of soil approximately 1-2 inches deep, under wood, slabs, debris, mulch, or in branches and cavities of trees and shrubs.
Preferred Foods: They prefer insect secretions and body fluids as well as, sweets, fruits, buds, syrups, oils, honeydews of aphids. They will also feed on egg yolks and organic matter.
Habitat: These ants can usually be found in the top six feet of soil. They live in moist areas underneath buildings and by pavements. Sometimes colonies develop in potted plants. Nests can be made of rocks, twigs, dirt, and so forth. Argentine ants relocate their nests often. Food sources and temperature affect where nests are built.
