They nest indoors and outdoors and often live in the nest of larger ants. They forage and feed on a variety of foods that include grease, sweets and meats. The workers are 1.6 to 5.8 mm long. Nests occur in loose soil and may be up to 60cm tall and 60cm wide and contain up to one-quarter million workers. They are a very aggressive species.
Most ants are harmless.
However, some ants may either bite or sting. Harvester ants have a blunt stinger but can produce a painful sting - usually they can't penetrate thick areas of skin, such as a hand. Children generally are more likely to feel harvester ant stings than adults. Fire ants produce a very painful sting which causes fiery itching, pustules, and sometimes more severe reaction including anaphylactic shock. An important step to any ant control program is to remove attractive food.