Integrated Pest Management
Harvester Ants
Harvester ant (Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org)
Harvester ant nest entrance (Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org)
Harvester ant nest (Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org)
Pest Description
- red to brown to black
- larger ants; 1/5 – 1/2 inch long
- two nodes (bumps between middle and rear body sections)
- workers of equal or different sizes
- row of hairs on the underside of the head
- spines on back sometimes present
Host Plants, Diet & Damage
- feed on seeds and grasses
- inflict painful stings when disturbed; some species leave stingers in the wound
- occasional pests of lawns
- strip large areas of grass and vegetation around nesting sites
Biology, Life Cycle & Damaging Life Stage
- one queen per colony
- nests appear as flat, bare circular patches of soil averaging several feet in diameter
- nests may be several feet deep
- swarm from June to October
- adult workers are the damaging stage
IPM Recommendations
- Use granular ant baits labeled for lawn use around the nest opening.