The ants move soil into these structures, which causes shorting and other mechanical problems. Compost Piles, Mulched Flower Beds, Pavement Cracks, etc . They also nest under cracked pavement, removing dirt from underneath sidewalks and roadways and aggravating structural problems. Colonies in these sites may be difficult to locate. If surface water is unavailable, they tunnel down to the ground water table many feet below the ground.
Worker ants are wingless, sterile females.
They protect the queen by defending the nest from intruders, by feeding the queen only food the workers have eaten first, and by moving the queen from danger. They also forage and care for the brood. Mating flights are most common in the spring and fall. Males die soon after mating, while the fertilized queen alights to find a suitable nesting site, sheds her wings, and begins digging a chamber in which to start a new colony. Sometimes several queens can be found in a single nesting site.