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Quick answer: Acrobat ants are small ants named for raising their heart-shaped abdomen over their body when disturbed. They often nest in moisture-damaged or previously termite-damaged wood and can enter along utility lines. Control combines baiting the colony, finding and correcting the moisture or wood damage, and sealing entry points.
What do acrobat ants look like?
Acrobat ants are small — about 1/8 inch — and range from light brown to black. Their trademark is a heart-shaped abdomen that they lift up and over the body when alarmed, giving them their name. They also have a small pair of spines on the thorax.
Signs of acrobat ants
You may see trails along utility lines, wires, and tree limbs into the structure, small piles of debris (wood bits and insulation) pushed from nests, and ants raising their abdomens when disturbed. Indoor nests are often tied to a damp spot.
Why acrobat ants matter
Acrobat ants prefer to nest in moisture-damaged or previously damaged wood, so finding them indoors often points to a hidden moisture problem or old water/termite damage. They can also strip insulation from wiring, and they tend aphids outdoors for honeydew.
How to get rid of acrobat ants
Effective control has three parts: bait the colony so workers carry it back to the queen; find and fix the moisture source and replace damaged wood where they nest; and seal entry points, especially utility line penetrations and gaps where wires enter. Trimming branches that touch the building removes an entry route.
When to call a professional
Because acrobat ants signal moisture or wood damage and nest in hidden voids, a professional can locate the nest and the underlying moisture problem, bait effectively, and recommend the repairs that prevent their return.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For ants, NYE provides colony-focused ant control matched to the species. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
Acrobat Ant FAQ
How do I identify acrobat ants?
Acrobat ants are about 1/8 inch, light brown to black, with a distinctive heart-shaped abdomen they raise over the rest of the body when disturbed. They have two nodes on the waist and a pair of small spines on the thorax.
What attracts acrobat ants?
They favor moist or decayed wood for nesting, so their presence often signals a moisture problem or old water or termite damage. Outdoors they tend aphids for honeydew.
How do you get rid of acrobat ants?
Bait the colony, then find and correct the moisture source and any damaged wood where they nest, and seal entry points such as utility line penetrations.
Where do acrobat ants nest?
In moisture-damaged wood, wall voids, foam insulation, and old termite or carpenter-ant galleries, as well as under bark and in dead limbs outdoors.
Do acrobat ants damage wood?
They do not eat wood, but they excavate nests in wood that is already soft from moisture or prior insect damage, and can strip insulation from wiring.
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