Small Honey Ant

The small honey ant (Prenolepis imparis), sometimes called the false honey ant or winter ant, is dark brown to black with a smooth and shiny body. Common in coastal states such as California, they are considered invading ants as they’re often found in homes, and they can invade crops and plants. Though we view them as pests, they are a vital link in the food chain. They usually forage at night, and are also active on cloudy days. A single-node ant species, their colonies generally have only a few thousand workers, each about 1/8 inch long. Nests are normally in the soil, but they may invade structures as well, although nests within structures would be very rare. While protein is needed by the colony their primary food is sugars, with honeydew from plant infesting insects their most common source.