Moisture Ant in Seattle, WA

Moisture Ant is a collective name that includes a number of ant species. Moisture ant workers are typically 1/6th to 1/8th inches long, and they vary from yellow to black. When crushed, they release a citrus odor. Moisture ant colonies are medium sized, numbering anywhere from a few hundred workers to several thousand. Colonies begin with a single mated female. Females are the largest ant in the colony, with a large abdomen for egg production. Males are larger than worker ants, and their sole purpose is to mate with the Queen. They require moisture to survive.  Moisture ants construct galleries in rotting wood within which they feed.

Moisture Ant Description

• Color: yellow to dark brown
• Size: about 1/8 inch long
• Feed on: sweets, often entering homes to feed on sugary foods
• Nests: make nests in water damaged, decaying wood, where they can accelerate decay and weaken structures
• Identifying Characteristic: notched back on the ant and nesting signs of cardboard-like tunneling in moist wood and sawdust under entry/exit points