PK-A08 · Ants
How to get rid of Acrobat ants
Crematogaster spp.
Acrobat ants heart-shape their gaster over the thorax when disturbed — a field mark. They nest in wet or foam-filled voids and in trees, then trail indoors. They can occupy old carpenter-ant or termite galleries. If you treat them like sugar ants with a kitchen spray, you miss the wet foam board in a wall. Moisture plus foam insulation is a modern housing story.
How to identify Acrobat ant
- Heart-shaped abdomen, often held up, two nodes, various colors.
- Nests in wood, foam, and under bark.
Signs of an infestation
- Trails from a tree or wet siding into a kitchen.
- Nest in foam sheathing when a wall is opened (by a pro).
Biology and why they show up
They tend honeydew insects. They use preexisting cavities. Moisture invites them.
Health and property risk
Nuisance; occasional association with damaged wood that something else started. Stings possible but not fire-ant grade for most species.
Proven control sequence
Work in this order. Skipping inspection or exclusion is why most “treatments” bounce back in a week.
- Find the wet void or tree. Follow the trail at night. Repair moisture and damaged foam.
- Bait trails and treat the nest site as labeled. Void treatments are professional if inside walls.
- Do not confuse with carpenter ants. Size and the heart gaster differ. Still fix the wood moisture.
Matching tools for these steps can be bought on Amazon. Buy the field kit.
Tools for acrobat ants
If they are nesting in damp wood, bait alone will disappoint you. Moisture control belongs in the sequence.
As an Amazon Associate, Pest Kill earns from qualifying purchases. The EPA label is the law for any pesticide. These links match the sequence on this page — they are not a shopping list instead of identification. Details: advertising disclosure. Browse the full tools catalog.
Labeled product
TERRO T300 liquid ant bait stations
For sweet-feeding household ants that take liquid bait back to the nest. Leave the trail alone while they feed. Not for carpenter ants, fire ants, or Pharaoh ants — wrong biology, wrong bait.
Prevention that actually sticks
- Keep foam and wood dry.
- Manage aphids on foundation plants.
When to hire a licensed professional
When nests sit in structural foam. Opening walls is not a first DIY step.
United States and Tier 1 notes
US-wide. Foam-heavy modern construction anywhere.
Common questions
Why acrobat?
The pose. It is identification, not a circus.