If you see an ant, it’s most likely to be a pavement ant. Originally from Europe, they’ve made themselves at home in urban areas across the U.S. for about 200 years. avement ants can be light brown or black, with their legs a lighter color than the rest of them. They have vertical lines on their head and have two bumps on their back. These ants are only about two or three millimeters in length. Because of their small size, they like to move through cracks to take a bite at your trash. They can also be easily mistaken for sugar ants. One sign that you have pavement ants is if there are piles of sand around your cracks.

Growing to up to an inch big, carpenter ants are one of the largest species of ants. These ants are black or red in color. They can also fly. Carpenter ants like to eat sugar and protein. Inside the house, that means they’ll be attracted to pet food that’s left out. The same goes for honey or sugar. True to their namesake these ants are attracted to wood. They don’t eat it, but instead tunnel through, creating holes and nests as they damage the structure of your home.

You probably know these ants by another name. Also called sugar ants, odorous house ants are small. They can be either black or dark brown. The “odor” is in their name for a reason – they will smell like rotten food when you crush them. You have to be careful about how you eradicate them. The best ant killer in Salt Lake City, UT for them is not what you’re going to find at the store. Stay away from chemical sprays. Odorous house ants can detect when you use one and will scatter. They’ll then make more nests and keep multiplying.

Growing to up to eight millimeters long, field ants are on the larger side. They can be yellow, black or red. Commonly confused with carpenter ants, they also prefer to live outside, but will move into your home if they find something to eat. They will build a mound and then create a colony inside. They’ll use sticks or leaves to build their nests.