Velvet Ant

What it does

Velvet ants are solitary and are most often seen as wingless females scurrying across open ground in summer. They are not aggressive and do not swarm or defend a nest, but a handled or trapped female can deliver a famously painful sting, which gives the 'cow killer' its exaggerated name. Males have wings and cannot sting.

Where it lives

They favor sunny, open, sandy or well-drained areas: lawns, pastures, gardens, roadsides, and desert scrub. Females roam the ground searching for the burrows of ground-nesting bees and wasps to parasitize. Velvet ants are most common in the southern and southwestern US and are seen singly rather than in groups.

How it breeds

Velvet ants are external parasites of other ground-nesting bees and wasps. A female enters a host's burrow and lays an egg on the host larva or pupa; her larva then consumes the host before pupating and emerging as an adult. There is generally one generation per year, and the wasps do not build nests of their own.

What it eats

Adult velvet ants feed on nectar and water. The larvae are parasitic, feeding on the larvae or pupae of ground-nesting bees and wasps inside the host's burrow, which is how the species reproduces without building a nest of its own.

Identification

Velvet ants are ant-sized to nearly an inch, densely covered in bright fur, usually red-orange and black, that makes them look velvety. The wingless females are the ones seen on the ground and resemble large hairy ants, but the constricted wasp waist and hard body give them away. Males have wings and look more wasp-like.

Signs of an infestation

• A single furry red-and-black 'ant' crawling across open ground
• The insect seen alone rather than in a trail like true ants
• A squeaking sound the insect makes when disturbed
• Activity in sunny, sandy yard or garden areas in summer
• No nest, mound, or colony associated with the insect

Prevention tips

• Avoid handling or stepping barefoot on them in sandy areas
• Wear shoes when walking on lawns and sandy ground in summer
• Teach children not to pick up brightly colored fuzzy 'ants'
• Reduce populations of the ground bees and wasps they parasitize
• Simply let them pass, since they are solitary and short-lived

Professional solutions

Velvet ants almost never require professional control. They are solitary, do not infest homes, and have no nest to treat. If they are frequently entering a yard, reducing the ground-nesting bees and wasps they parasitize helps indirectly. For the rare heavy presence in a play area, a pest professional can suggest targeted options.