Worker ants produced by the queen ant begin caring for other developing ants, enlarge the nest and forage for food. Pest status Worker ants can give a painful, stinging bite, but are generally reluctant to attack. Effects of the bite can spread along lymph channels and can be medically serious. Harvester ant workers commonly are sold for ant farms. Habitat Worker ants remove vegetation in circular areas or craters around nests.
Colonies occur in open areas and usually have a single central opening.
The area around the opening usually has small pebbles deposited on the soil surface by the worker ants. Red harvester ants also colonize in ornamental turf areas where their presence may be undesirable. They do not invade homes or structures. Red harvester ant foragers collect seeds and dead insects and store them in the nests as food for the colony. The ants' mouthparts are designed for chewing.