Ants - Ask Extension
Good morning. We recently had a large mass of ants (about 3x5 inches) in our yard. The yard is sloped and drains well. The ants were in the middle ...
Knowledgebase
Ants #927241
Asked April 01, 2026, 9:53 AM EDT
Good morning. We recently had a large mass of ants (about 3x5 inches) in our yard. The yard is sloped and drains well. The ants were in the middle of the yard so the area would be fairly dry and not much shade during the day at this time of year. As you can see, they are very small and pretty dark. Hopefully the "ants c" photo is close enough to get a feel for the shape of their abdomen etc.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Are you inquiring about a species ID for the ants? Unfortunately that would require microscopic examination, as well over 100 species of ants occur in Maryland and many look alike without magnification, especially when taking into account colony caste differences. Separating species in insect groups of high diversity tends to require close examination of several very fine body structure details. Very few of the ant species in Maryland are non-native, and ants in general are good to have in the lawn and landscape since they prey on other insects we consider pests (and birds and other wildlife also enjoy eating them).
Miri
Miri
Hi Miri,
That takes care of my real concern. I don't need a species ID, just wanted to know if they were harmful or not. Sounds like we don't have a problem, so we'll just marvel at them.
Thanks,
Tricia
Thanks,
Tricia
Sounds good! You're welcome.
