Ghost ant

How to tell

• About 1.5 mm long, small enough that most people first notice the trail, not the ant.
• Dark head and thorax with a pale, nearly translucent abdomen and legs.
• Moves in fast, erratic lines along grout, counter edges, and cabinet seams.
• Often mistaken for a young Pharaoh ant, which is uniformly yellow-brown rather than two-toned.

Where you'll find it

• Kitchen counters and the seam behind the sink.
• Bathroom vanities and around shower valves.
• Potted plants on a lanai, then the door track leading in.

Why it matters

Ghost ants forage across food surfaces and move between drains, trash, and prep areas. Colonies split easily, so a spray at the trail usually multiplies the number of trails.

How Strike treats it

We inspect to find the moisture source and the exterior trail, because ghost ants almost always nest outside and commute in. Treatment is a non-repellent perimeter application with interior baiting placed out of reach at the trail line. Repellent products are avoided indoors here since they trigger budding. We return to confirm the trails are gone and re-bait if any activity remains.

What you can do before we arrive

• Wipe counters and rinse the sink, and stop wiping the trail itself until we see it.
• Move pet bowls off the floor overnight and store open sugar and honey in sealed containers.
• Pull potted plants a foot away from exterior doors.
• Note which room you see them in first — that tells us the entry side.