Q&A for How to Identify a Queen Ant

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How do I find the queen ant?

Shweta Sharma
Biologist
Shweta Sharma is a Biologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With nearly ten years of experience, she specializes in insect management, integrated pest management, insect behavior, resistance management, ecology, and biological control. She earned her PhD in Urban Entomology and her MS in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida. She also holds a BS in Agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Nepal.

Shweta Sharma

Biologist

Expert Answer

Queens are mostly inside the nest, so they might be visible compared to the worker ants that are out and about foraging.

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Question

Is there more than 1 queen in a colony?

Community Answer

Army ants generally have a lot of breeding females, which some would call the queen. Usually, there is one queen in each colony.

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Question

I put boiling water and then ant poison into the ant nest which is just outside my house. I have done this several times over the last month or so but today I found what appears to be wingless female ant roaming around outside the nest. Does this mean the nest is dying?

Jaundre JvR

Community Answer

That sounds like the queens are busy with the nuptial flights, if they have lost their wings it is most likely that they have mated with males and are ready to start a new colony. It does not mean that the nest is dying.

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Question

Where is the queen ant found?

Community Answer

They could be anywhere. If you're trying to exterminate them, contact a specialist. If you want to start a colony like I have, either buy a queen ant or just look around. In addition to this article, there are some good sources on YouTube about finding them.

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I have like a folded color ants. How big is the queen from the workers?

Community Answer

Generally, the queen ant will be bigger than the worker ants. This is true for the majority of ant types. However, look at other characteristic, such as wings and wing attachment points, if you cannot tell based on size alone.

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Question

My ants are under slabs - I've tried putting hot water down there but they hide under the slabs. What should I do? And once the queen is dead, will the colony disband?

Community Answer

The ants usually stay at their nest even after the queen's death but ants only live fore 2-3 weeks, at most 4, so wait some time and check back. If you still have a problem, you may have to try pesticides or calling in an exterminator.

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Question

Is the soldier ant larger than the queen ant?

Community Answer

For the majority of cases, queen ants are much larger than soldier ants. Army ants may be an exception.

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Question

We keep finding queen ants in our house with a few black carpenter ants. Is there an infestation or they trying to set up at colony?

Community Answer

If there are queen ants in your home, there is likely and infestation. Queen ants usually mark the start of an ant colony. Contact your local exterminator to assess the problem.

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Question

When should I look for queen ants and what is the best way to care for them?

Community Answer

There is a lot of information in this article. If you still need to know, check on YouTube as there are a few channels that would explain it best.

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Question

If an ant is bigger than the others, has wings, a larger thorax, and a small head, is it a queen ant?

Community Answer

Different species have different appearances, but yes, this is most likely a queen.

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Question

I caught a bigger ant with a bigger thorax and wings. Could it be a queen?

Community Answer

Yes, but some male ants could also have wings and bigger thoraxes. They look more like wasps than ants.

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Question

When is the best time to search for queens?

Community Answer

The best time to search for a queen ant is when its nuptial flight happens, mostly during summer and rainy season. When there's a rain and it starts to get sunny, this is where you can find queens flying and hiding in moist areas.

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Question

I just found ants with wings in the same hole. What does that mean, and are there any queens?

Community Answer

The virgin queens are leaving to find a male and mate. After that, they will make a colony.

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Question

Do queen ants bite or sting?

Community Answer

Queen ants are able to bite with the little clipper like things on their mouths. Some ants like fire ants bite and afterwards it burns but no ants sting you with an actual stinger.

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Question

What happens to the hive when the queen ant is killed?

Community Answer

The ants would slowly find new queens; females will go out to mate; and some workers would just stay near the queen because of the pheromone, and most likely die.

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Question

I found a nest of red ants and saw a large ant-like thing with wings near the surface. Is this the queen ant or just a random insect? I need a queen for my terrarium project.

J Cat

Community Answer

It is an alate. Since it was near the nest, it probably hasn't mated, but there is a chance it has (check for an enlarged rear). If it has a tiny rear, it is probably a breeding male. If you find one without wings, it is probably pregnant.

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Question

I found a black ant, it looks like a queen as it has wings. Though it is smaller.

Community Answer

If it’s head is smaller than the thorax, it might be a drone. A queen normally has the head as big as the thorax, and if it hasn’t got wings, it’s because queens eat them normally when they already met up with a male.

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Question

What is difference of look between a wasp and an ant?

Caeiia

Top Answerer

A wasp is generally bigger, looks like a bee, and buzzes while flying. Ants rarely fly and are small.

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If the queen dies, does the whole ant colony die?

Community Answer

If the queen dies, the rest of the ants in the colony will most likely die between 2-3 weeks of the queen ant's death.

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Question

When is the best season for finding queen ants?

Community Answer

It depends on what type of ant you are looking for and what country you're from.

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Question

Do ants build a white, waxy looking substance in nests?

Community Answer

A white, waxy substance usually means eggs. If not eggs, then maybe larvae or pupa.

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Question

What if I eliminated the queen ant, but am still getting ants in the area where she was?

Community Answer

Some ant species will have more than one fertile queen in a single colony. Do some research to figure out what type of ant they are. Then, research if they can have more than one queen in a colony. The colony may have some eggs, so you could wait a few months to let the eggs grow up and let those ants die.

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Question

How can I locate an ant colony?

Community Answer

Try putting out some small pieces of food. When you see ants taking the food, follow them back to their colony.

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Question

What can I do if bitten by a queen ant?

Community Answer

It depends on the species of ant, some ants have venom and some don’t. If the ant looks too exotic and the bite hurts a lot, wait for a few minutes and if the bite still hurts the same, go to the doctor.

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Question

I have a sugar or carpenter ant, but I'm not sure if it's a queen though?

Community Answer

The best way to tell is that the queen will have an extremely muscular thorax, so try comparing that with the workers.

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Question

If I see more than one queen ant, what does that mean?

Community Answer

It means there are multiple colonies, as any colony can only have one queen.

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I put a pesticide down to get rid of ants, and now they are coming out looking dizzy. Will they die soon?

Community Answer

Most likely. Let the poison do its work.

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Question

What can cause three queens to appear after using heavy duty traps on carpenter ants?

J Cat

Community Answer

They could be looking for new nests, or it could mean they are having their nuptial flight. Colonies usually have one queen, so keep that in mind. Wait a bit and see if the infestation gets worse. If so, they could have moved into a new place in the home.

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Question

How rare are queen ants?

Community Answer

Queen ants are actually abundant in mating season, and you could find them roaming around at this time.

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Question

How do I make a habitat for my ant colony?

Community Answer

Starter ant habitats are common online. But once the colony gets bigger, you could use a terrarium with the most secure lid ever, since they're the best escape artist ever.

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