Ants in California

Thanks to its geographic diversity, California is home to very small to giant-sized ants of different colors. They favor cold and wet climates as well as hot and dry conditions. Hence, winter and summer is the ant season in California.  One of the smallest ants in the state, the Argentine ant, is its most common one. But it is mostly found outdoors. A common house ant is the pharaoh ant.

If you are seeing tiny red ants in California, they are likely to be the biting harvester ants. The big red ants are usually the red imported fire ants. The common big black ants of California are carpenter ants, while the tiny black ants here are usually the little black ants.

Types of Ants in California

Ants in California (CA)

Ants That Bite

  • Carpenter Ants
  • Red Imported Fire Ant
  • Southern Fire Ant
  • Pavement Ants
  • Harvester Ants
  • Thief Ant
  • Velvety Tree Ant
  • Formica Ants (Wood Ants)
  • Argentine Ant
  • Bicolored Pyramid Ant
  • Little Black Ant

Ants That Don’t Bite

Ants by Colors

Red Ants: Red Imported Fire Ant

Black Ants: Carpenter Ants, Little Black Ant

Brown Ants: Argentine Ant

Ants by Regions

Southern California Ants: Argentine Ant, Carpenter Ants, Thief Ant, Red Imported Fire Ant, Little Black Ant

Northern California Ants: Argentine Ant, Pavement Ants, Pharaoh Ant, Carpenter Ants