Most ants prefer to nest outside. Where exactly they build their nest depends on their species. Some nest in the soil in open sunny areas, others choose damp soil under mulch, woodpiles, or fallen trees, some nest in the cracks of pavement or cement walls, and others in pieces of decaying wood.

The closer an ant nest is to your home, the more likely these pests will wind up in your house as they forage for food and water. When ants enter our homes searching for food, we see them traveling over surfaces in the kitchen, pantries, bathrooms, and dining areas.

Sometimes ants will make their presence in our homes permanent and build a nest. Our homes offer ants safe shelter and easy access to food or water. Common indoor nesting sites include wall voids, crawl spaces, structural wood, space behind cabinets or trim, vents, and electrical equipment.

Ant colonies divide their members into different groups, each tasked with a specific job. Worker ants make up the bulk of any ant colony and do things like care for the young ants, maintain the nest, and travel from the nest to locate and bring back food.

While out and about, if worker ants come across an open trash can, bowl of pet food, or garden with garden pests like aphids producing honeydew (a sticky sweet substance ants love), they will alert the rest of the colony by laying down a pheromone trial. Their ability to communicate with each other is why ant infestations tend to happen very quickly and why ant colonies are so successful.

When discussing pests, ants aren't the worst that can visit your property, but their presence certainly shouldn't be celebrated or, for that matter, ignored. When ants are in our homes, they contaminate our food, spread bacteria over surfaces, and sometimes create unpleasant odors. While most ants are nuisance pests, some dangerous ants in California pose significant threats to people and our properties. Ants that we consider harmful spread disease-causing pathogens, deliver painful stings, or cause structural damage.

Ants are one of the easier-to-identify insects because of how frequently we run into them and their distinct appearance. Ants have three body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen), six legs, and short, bent antennae. Most ants are black, brown, red, or yellow.

Ants are small, social insects that play important roles in the ecosystem. Ants act as pollinators, help aerate the soil, help recycle decaying debris, and provide food for other animals.

Unfortunately, ants don't stay outside, away from us and our homes. They often nest in or near our yards and find their way into our homes, where they are unwanted, difficult-to-eliminate pests.