These light to dark brown ants are about ¼ inch long. The winged females are somewhat larger, and the wings are clear to pale yellow. Nests may be located in soil next to house foundations or sidewalks.

(Acanthomyops spp.) Yellow ants remain in their underground nests most of the time. They feed on the honeydew form aphids and other insects on the roots of plants. Colonies produce swarms during the spring and these may be confused with termite swarms. These ants rarely enter houses.

Locate and control the nests is the best strategy. They are usually adjacent to foundations or in the soil in the mulch beds around houses. Nests can be treated with a liquid insecticide.