There are roughly more than 13,000 types of ants across the world. Many of these species are suited to warmer conditions so don’t tend to end up in the UK.

Due to this there are around 50 species of ants known to commonly be found throughout the UK.

Below we have listed the top 6 species of ants that are often found within commercial and domestic properties as well as their characteristics and behaviour.

1. Black/Garden Ant (lasius niger)

Perhaps the best known ant in England is Lasius niger, the common black garden ant. It is well known due to its tendency to enter houses.

It nests under pavements, in soil, along the edges of lawns, in fact almost anywhere. It is a very quick, robust and prolific ant, using formic acid and its jaws as a means of attack/defence.

Colonies can be as large as 15,000 workers, though about 4000 to 7000 is more average. Typical prey include insects, nectar, and even the bodies of their own dead, or ants from other colonies.

They are also very fond of sugary substances.

2. Yellow Meadow Ant (lasius flavus)

Another common ant found in gardens is Lasius flavus, the yellow meadow ant.

These ants build small mounds in our lawns and are often mistaken for red ants due to their yellow-orange colour, yet they are no more harmful than their common black cousins, Lasius niger.

They are the most skilled nest builder found in the UK and can also be found in fields and meadows where they build much larger mounds.

Lasius flavus tend to forage below ground and therefore are not often seen except perhaps when its nest is disturbed, or during the annual mating flights.

They feed on small insects and mites that stray into their tunnels.

3. Red Ant (myrmica rubra)

There are seven species of the Myrmica family found in this country. These ants tend to be a deep red in colour and can deliver a painful sting.

The most common of the seven species is Myrmica ruginodis which can be found throughout Britain and lives in small colonies with between 100-300 members.

They are polygynous, meaning they can have many egg laying queens in one colony.

They are aggressive and seem to be happier attacking than running away.

4. Red Wood Ant/Horse Ant (formica rufa)

Another common British ant are those belonging to the species Formica, also known as the wood ant.

Many of these species build huge mounds from pine needles and other woodland litter on the edge of forest clearings or pathways, and can number more than 100,000 members per colony.

These ants are large, aggressive and attack by biting and spraying formic acid very effectively if disturbed. T

he largest ant in the UK is Formica sanguinea. It raids colonies of other Formica species, such as Formica fusca and steals their brood, taking them back to their own nest where they raise the hatching workers as their own.

Surprisingly these ants generally do not kill the workers of the nests they raid unless the defending workers try to stop the sanguinea invaders from taking what they want.

Formica rufa are polygynous and can have hundreds of egg laying queens in one nest. They are found in Southern England as well as other European countries.

5. Black Wood Ant (formica fusca)

Another wood ant species. This one is black and more timid than its red cousin.

They prefer to nest under rotting logs and are found from the Midlands down to Southern England.

They have populations of usually less than 1000, and although can be polygynous, they do not normally have very many queens in each colony.

They have extremely good eyesight but tend to be very timid, running rather than fighting.

6. Black Stinging Ant (tetramorium caespitum)

This ant is a small black stinging ant. It is typically found along the coasts of Southern and Western England.

They can have nests containing up to 30,000 ants, but the average is perhaps 10,000. An interesting feature of this ant is that it appears to bury its food in mounds of soil.