The Red Wood Ant builds large, domed mounds of pine needles and plant material in coniferous forests, with a single mound sometimes housing over a million workers from multiple queens. Workers spray formic acid as a defense, which gave the ant family Formicidae its name. The mounds act as solar collectors, maintaining temperatures vital for larval development.
Best time to see a Red Wood Ant
The best time to see a Red Wood Ant is March–June, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 239 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Red Wood Ant? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
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