{"id":72051,"date":"2022-08-02T05:59:19","date_gmt":"2022-08-02T09:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/?p=72051"},"modified":"2025-09-02T03:03:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T07:03:10","slug":"the-most-common-ants-in-central-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/72051\/the-most-common-ants-in-central-park\/","title":{"rendered":"The Most Common Ants in Central Park"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat breed of ant is that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While that might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you spot an ant crawling across your tabletop or just along its merry way on the ground, it\u2019s nevertheless a worthwhile subject to consider when strolling or picnicking at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/71983\/tips-on-how-to-rent-on-a-budget-near-central-park\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Central Park<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are thousands of ant species worldwide, and it\u2019s essential to familiarize yourself with them if you want to avoid the \u201cproblematic\u201d ants. Of course, we don\u2019t mean all the thousands of ants in the world. Rather, learn about the ones most common in your city and neighboring area, to get a fair idea about what you might expect.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_72053\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-72053\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-72053 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/The-Most-Common-Ants-in-Central-Park-.jpeg\" alt=\"The Most Common Ants in Central Park\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-72053\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-72053 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/The-Most-Common-Ants-in-Central-Park-.jpeg\" alt=\"The Most Common Ants in Central Park\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/The-Most-Common-Ants-in-Central-Park-.jpeg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/The-Most-Common-Ants-in-Central-Park--350x230.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/The-Most-Common-Ants-in-Central-Park--696x456.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/The-Most-Common-Ants-in-Central-Park--640x420.jpeg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript> Learn what sort of Ants you may meet in Central Park. Photo by Black Perl on Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if you live in New York City, or visiting the Big Apple, what better green area to focus on than Central Park? The infamous park is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.centralpark.com\/things-to-do\/central-park-zoo\/insects-arthropods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">home to dozens of species of ant<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and below, you\u2019ll find the most common, how to spot them, and what damage they risk doing to your home.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most Common Ants in Central Park:<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Pharaoh Ant<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Usually measuring no more than 1\/16 of an inch in size, pharaoh ants are recognizable by their unusual coloring. Pharaoh ants are typically light yellow or red in color and leave behind a distinctive scent trail, to guide them between their food source, and their shelter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pharaoh ants can be quite a nuisance for homeowners, thanks to their nest-building habit in every single area they inhabit. Not only that, but pharaoh ants will also reproduce rapidly, which means that once they\u2019re in the house, you could be dealing with a lot of them in a very short amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Pavement Ant<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You know <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pestworld.org\/pest-guide\/ants\/pavement-ants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pavement ants<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> since they tend to make their colonies in the cracks in the pavement (though they will move into homes if they offer particularly attractive food sources). These ones can measure up to 1\/8th of an inch and are dark brown. Pavement ants bite or sting very rarely, though they can still pose a threat to your food.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out this clip to learn more about the Pavement ant:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Field Ant<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Field ants are not ones to be easily dismissed. Growing up to 3\/8ths of an inch, they come in yellow, red, black, and brown patterns. Although they much prefer nesting outside, they may come indoors, looking for food. The big issue with field ants is that, when angered, they will bite and inject a deeply painful venom in their victims.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Carpenter Ant<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/entomology.ca.uky.edu\/ef603\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carpenter ants <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are a big concern for homeowners since they mostly make their nest inside moist, rotting wood. This can mean severe structural damage very quickly. Not to mention how tricky they are to get out, once they\u2019ve set up shop inside your home.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carpenter ants are, however, easier to identify. Since they can grow up to \u00bd an inch and have deep red bodies, you can usually pick them apart from other ants.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Little Black Ant<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These cutesy-sounding critters live in huge colonies that usually span over two thousand members. In Central Park, they can be found under rocks, or in the grass, though they prefer dry areas to damp. Though they typically will avoid coming indoors, they might become a problem, in the sense of contaminating your food.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Citronella Ant<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll know the citronella ants by their bright yellow-orange coloring, but also by the light citrusy scent they give off when crushed (though don\u2019t knowingly crush them if they\u2019re not bothering you!).&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s unlikely to find a citronella ant in your home, as they prefer the outdoors, but you may observe them along the concrete in Central Park.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watch this to learn a bit more about the Citronella Ant:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Argentine Ant<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This last breed of ant is considered a nuisance because of its immense colonies. (A single one can include thousands of members and even hundreds of queens.) The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cisr.ucr.edu\/invasive-species\/argentine-ant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Argentine ant<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> likes to live in moist areas, and as such, can rapidly barge into your home, which you definitely do not want. Though it can live in parks, as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bottom line, pay attention when you\u2019re walking about, but also indoors, and if you suspect an ant infestation on your property, act fast. Hire a professional pest removal expert, such as <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/nywildlifecontrol.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Magic Touch Exterminating and Wildlife Control<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Remember, the more you wait, the more damage you are inviting into your home (not to mention allowing the ant colony to grow). So don\u2019t wait.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWhat breed of ant is that?\u201d While that might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you spot an ant crawling across your tabletop or just along its merry way on the ground, it\u2019s nevertheless a worthwhile subject to consider when strolling or picnicking at Central Park. There are thousands of ant [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":72052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[829,834,325],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-72051","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-culture-2","8":"category-gardens-culture-2","9":"category-new-york"},"acf":[],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":72052,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Common-Ants-in-Central-Park--350x230.jpeg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/149"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72051"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72051\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}