Rover Ant Brachymyrmex Information and Control of Ants

Brachymyrmex spp.

Rover Ants were noticed around 30 years ago, but are just now gaining attention as they have become a serious pest problem in many areas of the country. The Rover ant is often mistaken for the little black ant, resulting in failure to control the targeted ant pest. Unlike the Little Black Ant, the Rover ant has only one queen and can have many colonies in one area. It can be very frustrating to eliminate all of the colonies.

The Rover ant is very small (1/16 to 1/12 of an inch) and can be blonde to dark brown in color. They have one node which has a low peak and is sloped slightly forward of the abdomen is generally carried forward and hides the node. The key to identifying the Rover ant is its 9 segmented antennae which is not clubbed. Another physical characteristic of the Rover Ant is that it does not have a stinger. The workers of this ant species are all one size (monomorphic).

Rover Ants are most often found dead in swimming pools or running vigorously up and down vertical objects such as a blade of grass or the leg of a patio chair. In the wilderness they nest under stones, in the soil or in rotting wood. In buildings we are finding them in high moisture areas such as bathrooms, kitchens or rooms with past water problems.
They can also form sub slab colonies. Rover Ants feed on honeydew which is produced from aphids and mealy bugs.
Female winged ablates are three times larger than male workers.

Controlling Rover Ants

By broadcasting a good residual insecticide such as Talstar over lawns and nearby shrubs to kill off the ants, much of their food source (sap sucking insects which provide honeydew) can also be controlled. Exterior surfaces of the home, garage, shed or other structures in infested areas will also help control foraging Rover ants.

Indoor control of Rove Ants will be aided by the exterior spray, but if the indoor populations are too high in number then other actions can be taken. When indoor sprays are not favorable or practical, use a good bait for sweet feeding ants. Gourmet Ant Bait Gel is an excellent choice for controlling indoor Rover Ant populations, whether they are merely scouting for food or have established colonies in the voids found inside the average home.

Credits:
Our thanks to Chrissy Helmig for her hard work and research that went into this Rover Ant information page!