do black ants bite?

Question

Like regular black ants.

Answer 1

I stumbled upon your question with searching for an answer to my problem.

I really feel like I can answer your question because as I am writing this, I’m am being bitten by little very tiny black ants, not too much, like every 10 minutes or so…but it’s still annoying.

Sometimes, I have ants in my kitchen but I can easily spot their point of entry and follow their trail because my countertop is white. I get rid of them easily by cleaning the whole place and putting vinegar and Vaseline (they cannot make a trail on a greasy surface so I put Vaseline around my windows) where they come in and where they could come in and I also treat the outside of my house with insecticide.
Those ants, the ones in my kitchen, never bit me, maybe because they never got on me, I don’t know.

Now, my problem is I have ants in my den, at my computer desk, which is made out of wood and is a desk built within the house, with a library full of books. I don’t know why they’re there, because I have no food there, but I guess they’re there because I’m there and they keep biting me! Like little pesky vampires!
They seem to be a different species from the ones in the kitchen because the ones in the kitchen seem to be numerous, organized and walk in a straight line. The ants in my den do not seem to have a trail, they’re hard to spot on the brown wood, they’re not many of them but they’re all over the place and every few minutes, one bite me, usually on my hands of arms. Their bite is not painful, feels like a little tiny soft prick of a needle, with no itching or swelling and it’s what make me notice them. I can’t even feel them crawling on me, they’re so tiny, but as soon as they bite me, they’re dead!

I’m like what the?
Why are they biting me?
Do they think they’re gonna get away with it?

My desk is also full of papers and stuff and I now have the daunting task of having to straighten out all my papers and clean the whole place…talk about a way to get motivation to be more organized!

Answer 2

I am sorry to hear about you guys getting bit by these pain in the butts. But I am also relieved to finally find others who have described the same type of ant that has tortured me every summer. Just like others here they are tiny little black loners who also are very quick when you go to squish them. They are also different then the ones i will find in my kitchen who follow each other in a trail and are on a single mission to find food. But these little suckers will crawl up my back or arms and bite me! Not every day but it has happened enough to get my attention.
You see , I am a type 1 diabetic and have even found the little leeches crawling around my insulin bottles to get any sugar they can. So I naturally assumed they were biting me because they smelled the insulin coming off my body. EWWW- such a creepy thought. So I have been looking everywhere for a answer to this problem and have had no luck till now. though no one mentioned they were a diabetic I am hoping that they are just a weird ant . The interesting part of this story is they never bite my wife, So I guess I am the sweeter one. :)

Answer 3

Do Ants Bite

Answer 4

Black ants (Also known as 'lasius niger') are commonly found throughout the UK, and although they nest outdoors, they are often found inside houses, causing a nuisance more than anything.

They are social creatures, and live in colonies containing workers (infertile females), males, queens and grubs (larvae). Ants mate on the wing, so the "flying ants" are either males or immature queens.

You will find ants nests in dry earth around plant roots, with sandy soil in particular attracting colonies.


The sand used in house foundations, garden paths and patios forms a good site for the queen ant to start a colony. Nests are increasingly being found inside the walls of properties (cavity walls, for example). Once a colony develops it can be difficult to get rid of.

Although it is unpleasant and a nuisance to find a large number of them in your home, black ants do not transmit any serious diseases.


However, you should remember as well that the ants may have travelled through unpleasant or dirty places during their foraging and before entering your home. This means that they can taint any food, making it unsuitable to eat.

Do not leave food uncovered if accessible to ants, but if they have contaminated food, dispose of in the dustbin (wrapped first to prevent it smelling in the warmer weather).

The cheapest, but not necessarily most successful, way of dealing with an ants' nest is to pour boiling water onto the nest. This will certainly control the problem, but may only be a temporary solution.


Another way of eliminating ants' nests is to buy a household insecticide which you should apply on and around the nest, together with possible entry points for the ants. Entry points would include doors, windows, cracks in walls, even wastepipes. Remember, for your own safety, to follow the manufacturers' instructions on the pack.

This again may only be a short term answer, firstly because of the low dosages allowed in domestic insecticides. Secondly, there can be so many ants in one nest that it is difficult to eradicate the whole colony in one go, so the problem may recur.

Black ants do bite. It feels like a small pinch. Thats all it will do to you.
I asked my sister she has been bitten by those animals loads of times.

Answer 5

I recently started getting bitten by tiny black ants in my home. As one person previously wrote, they are tiny, you can t even feel them crawling on you until they bite. The bite is certainly noticeable, but not terribly painful and leaves no mark afterward. But it is annoying and bothersome that these ants are in my home! I can t find where they are coming from, there is no trail and they just appear individually. Are they harmful at all, and how do I get rid of them?

Answer 6

We have black ants all over Riverside at every season. You leave anything out for too long they ll get it. I ve never been bit by them cause I didn t think they could. But I just watched an ant walk up my arm and bit an area where I popped pimple. It hurt like hell. They seem to only want fresh flesh but the flesh on your skin is dead so they don t bother you. That s why you wear band-aids. They ll go after those wounds at night while you sleep.

Answer 7

Those tint black ants bite me every time they crawl in thru my bedroom window. I sit in the chair by the window and it s bite, bite, bite! That s how I know to look for a trail or some scouts. I must taste good.

Answer 8

I got news for you. I have been bitten twice by a single black ant , one had wings on the bottom of my foot and the pain was horribly painful thankful it was only for a few seconds. Like someone stuck a needle in my foot. I got a swollen bump and a red line. Its still there on day 3. The itch was really bad to. So I kept meds on it for the swelling and itching.

Answer 9

Black ants do bite but the ones that bite are those which do all the guarding work.
Others are foragers who collect food.

Answer 10

Well, I've been bitten twice by a very tiny black ant...once on my finger and it left a red spot with a white spot in the center; and one was in my panty drawer and when I put on my panty, it bit my butt...left a big red mark and is itching.