The Winter Ant is remarkable for being most active in late fall and winter when other ants are dormant, often seen foraging on warm days in January and February when snow is on the ground. Workers store fat in their grossly distended gasters (abdomens) when food is plentiful in fall, serving as living honey-pots that other workers can feed from. Colonies aestivate underground in summer heat.
Best time to see a Winter Ant
The best time to see a Winter Ant is January–May, when about 64% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 21,016 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Winter Ant? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Winter Ant sightings near you
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