(Lasius niger)
Biology:
The black and gray ant belongs to the scale ant family (Formicinae), which has only one scale-like stalk between the middle part of the body and the abdomen.
The workers are 3-5 mm in size, their color is very variable and varies from black-brown to brown. The adaptable cultural successors build their nests in gardens, under stones, in lawns, under house terraces, in cracks in walls, in tree bark, in rotten dead wood, etc. and also build above-ground constructions from earth material, such as large, loose mounds of earth above the nest. The path ant is the most common ant species in homes and gardens.
Although they almost always settle outside the house, they enter buildings in search of food, especially in spring when food is still scarce outdoors. The ants often use aphids as a food source. They suck up their sugary excretions, the so-called honeydew.
Damage:
The damage is similar to that of the lawn ant. They also burrow under terraces or paved paths in the garden and transport sand to the surface. As the ants also live on the honeydew of aphids, they sometimes actively contribute to their spread and reproduction and can therefore contribute to damage to crops.
