We got a phone call in the office today from a customer who has numerous holes in his pinestraw beds. Our technician went out and moved the pinestraw and found holes into the soil. The holes looked similar to this:
This my friends is a classic Red Velvet Ant nest.
Red velvet ants are a good thing to spot in the landscape if you're worried about yellow jackets. Red velvet ants prey on yellow jackets and other ground-nesting bees and wasps by burrowing into their nest, laying an egg in the bee cocoon. The egg hatches into a grub that feeds on the surrounding bee larvae. Red velvet ants also prey on bumblebees. Adult red velvet ants feed on nectar.These critters aren't aggressive, but the female can deliver a painful sting when disturbed. Males don't sting.
If you see a red velvet ant in your yard or garden, it will try to avoid you; however, if you find a number of them, or are trying to protect children or pets, you may want to kill the ants.
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| Female Red Velvet Ant has no wings |
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| Male Red Velvet Ant has black wings |
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