Yes. All the smaller ants are surrounding the bigger ant. "We had sugar ants for years, winter only. 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. Hundreds of ants inside. They could be anywhere. Do queen ants wander off to find nesting areas during hot days, like in the summer? My ants are under slabs - I've tried putting hot water down there but they hide under the slabs. What should I do? Removed all of them. If there are queen ants in your home, there is likely and infestation. If you have one or two species in mind (I would recommend larger-sized ants that don’t sting for a first ant farm), then you can look up when queens are likely to be active in your area. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. I was really interested in how to make a home If you still have a problem, you may have to try pesticides or calling in an exterminator. wikiHow's When a house is overrun by ants, it means that an ant colony has been established in or around the location of the house. Usually, there is one queen in each colony. Yes, but it's not likely they will get to the queen. Queens will often fly after a rainstorm, so be sure to look around if its rained recently to improve your chances. However, shortly after they have mated with a queen, they will die. If your garden has a pile, there could be a queen ant under the pile. The easiest way to identify a queen ant is by looking at the ant's size and wings. Generally, the queen ant will be bigger than the worker ants. The worker ants will die protecting her and she will start a new colony. If an ant is bigger than the others, has wings, a larger thorax, and a small head, is it a queen ant? replenish ants. By using our site, you agree to our Ant colonies cannot survive without a queen ant, as the queen ant is the individual that is responsible for reproduction. "I have never seen an ant this big in my life. "Great information on what to look for when searching for a queen ant. "It told me the differences and helped me understand what a queen ant looks like." Is there an infestation or they trying to set up at colony? "Thanks, this website was extremely helpful to help me with my ant farm building. "We've seen many ants in and around the house, and have been on the lookout for where they came from. It saved me from having to Army ants may be an exception. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please We use cookies to make wikiHow great. "I have successfully started a colony with this article!" a 7' curtain rod above the kitchen counter. Some queen ants are able to produce larvae even though they still have their wings. Look in areas where there are multiple ant colonies nearby.