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How to Identify a Queen Ant Download Article Co-authored by Shweta Sharma
Last Updated: December 19, 2025 Fact Checked
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Checking an Ant's Appearance
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This article was co-authored by Shweta Sharma. Shweta Sharma is a Biologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With nearly ten years of experience, she specializes in insect management, integrated pest management, insect behavior, resistance management, ecology, and biological control. She earned her PhD in Urban Entomology and her MS in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida. She also holds a BS in Agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Nepal. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 632,550 times.
When a house is overrun by ants, it means that an ant colony has been established in or around the location of the house. Ant colonies cannot survive without a queen ant, as the queen ant is the individual that is responsible for reproduction. To address the root of the problem, you'll need to identify the queen ant by looking for her large size, wings (or wing attachment points), bulky thorax, and central placement within the colony.
Queen Ant Identifying Factors
A queen ant is always larger than the rest of the ants in the colony. If she's young, she may still have wings, but an older queen ant will have shed her wings and have two small bumps on her thorax where they were attached. She will also have a larger and bumpier thorax than a worker ant.
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Checking an Ant's Appearance
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1 Look at the size of the ant. For many types of ants, queens are much larger than regular worker ants.[1]X Expert Source Shweta SharmaBiologistExpert Interview If you stumble upon an ant that appears unusually large, there's a good chance this is the queen.
The ant will be noticeably bigger than the surrounding ants, or other ants you have seen.
Think about the type of ants you have as well. With leaf-cutter ants, the queen is particularly likely to be bigger than the worker ants. However, with fire ants and carpenter ants, workers themselves come in many different sizes. This may make it difficult to differentiate between the queen and worker ants based on size alone.
2 See if there are wings on the ant. In many ant colonies, the queen is born with wings. During many parts of a queen's adult life, she will need to fly to find a new colony for mating.[2]X Expert Source Shweta SharmaBiologistExpert Interview An ant with wings may very well be the queen ant.[3]XResearch source
Some male ants do have wings, but they tend to be slightly less noticeable. The types of male ants that have wings will generally look more slender and wasp like than a queen, who will generally be larger.
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3 Look for signs the ant has shed its wings. Queens do shed their wings at a certain point in their lifespan. If you lean down and look at the central portion of the ant's body, you may see small bumps jutting from either side of the ant's body.[4]X Expert Source Shweta SharmaBiologistExpert Interview These are wing attachment points, a sign that the ant once had wings. As queens shed their wings, wing attachment points are a good sign you've found the queen.[5]XResearch source
4 Examine the thorax. The thorax is the part of an ant's body that bridges the neck and abdomen. Queen ants will generally have a larger, bulkier thorax than worker ants.
As a queen's thorax once supported wings, it will be much bulkier and more muscular than a worker ant's body.
A queen's thorax makes up more than half its body size. This is much larger than the thorax of a regular ant.
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Considering Other Factors
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1 Think about the area where you found the ant. If you're unsure how to identify the queen by appearance alone, consider where you found the ant. Queens tend to be found at the center of an ant's nest. Queens tend to prefer moist areas, commonly found in rotting wood. If you found an ant hiding in a damp area of your home or outside, especially in damp wood, this is more likely to be a queen.[6]XResearch source
2 Consider if you have army ants. The vast majority of ant types have larger queens, with bigger thoraxes, who are easily differentiated from worker ants. However, army ants are an exception. Army ants have queens with smaller thoraxes, who look very similar to the ants in this type of ant colony. It may be difficult,to identify the queen when working with these kinds of ants.[7]XResearch source Army ants are more oval-shaped in appearance than regular ants. They have antennas on their heads, as well as mouth pieces shaped like scissors.[8]XResearch source
3 Consult a specialist. If you cannot find the queen, consult a professional exterminator. Ants can be a real problem in your home. If you're unable to discover the queen on your own, or identify the types of ants, look in your yellow pages for an exterminator.
4 See if the other ants do things for the one you suspect is a queen. They might carry things to her or take orders from her.
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Question How do I find the queen ant? Shweta Sharma Biologist Shweta Sharma is a Biologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With nearly ten years of experience, she specializes in insect management, integrated pest management, insect behavior, resistance management, ecology, and biological control. She earned her PhD in Urban Entomology and her MS in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida. She also holds a BS in Agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Nepal. Shweta Sharma Biologist Expert Answer Queens are mostly inside the nest, so they might be visible compared to the worker ants that are out and about foraging. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 16 Helpful 20
Question Is there more than 1 queen in a colony? Community Answer Army ants generally have a lot of breeding females, which some would call the queen. Usually, there is one queen in each colony. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 69 Helpful 157
Question I put boiling water and then ant poison into the ant nest which is just outside my house. I have done this several times over the last month or so but today I found what appears to be wingless female ant roaming around outside the nest. Does this mean the nest is dying? Jaundre JvR Community Answer That sounds like the queens are busy with the nuptial flights, if they have lost their wings it is most likely that they have mated with males and are ready to start a new colony. It does not mean that the nest is dying. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 44 Helpful 144
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Tips
Be careful when interacting with a queen. The ants will always protect their queen, and may bite if they feel she is threatened. Thanks Helpful 52 Not Helpful 8
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
Soldier ants will try to protect their queen when they're disturbed, so be careful not to upset them if you're trying to get rid of an infestation.
If you want to start your own ant colony, be careful not to injure or kill the queen. Always wear gloves and handle the queen ant with care.
Try to learn what species of ant you're dealing with so you can more easily identify the queen.
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about identifying insects, check out our in-depth interview with Shweta Sharma.
Co-authored by: Shweta Sharma Biologist This article was co-authored by Shweta Sharma. Shweta Sharma is a Biologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With nearly ten years of experience, she specializes in insect management, integrated pest management, insect behavior, resistance management, ecology, and biological control. She earned her PhD in Urban Entomology and her MS in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida. She also holds a BS in Agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Nepal. This article has been viewed 632,550 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 30Updated: December 19, 2025 Views: 632,550 Categories: BugsArticle SummaryX
The easiest way to identify a queen ant is by looking at the ant's size and wings. Queens are much larger than regular worker ants and will look noticeably bigger than the others. Queens are also born with fairly large wings, and while some males have wings, they're much smaller. If you see a large, winged ant positioned at the center of an ant nest, it's very likely to be a queen! For tips on using other visible characteristics to identify a queen ant, read on!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Reader Success Stories
Susan Bueno
Sep 12, 2017
"We've seen many ants in and around the house, and have been on the lookout for where they came from. We got lucky, found a large ant with wings with 2 smaller ants and killed them. Sure enough, that was a queen we killed; we didn't know what it was and are happy to know."..." more
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Shweta Sharma Biologist Click a star to vote Co-authors: 30Updated: December 19, 2025 Views: 632,550
Susan Bueno
Sep 12, 2017
"We've seen many ants in and around the house, and have been on the lookout for where they came from. We got lucky, found a large ant with wings with 2 smaller ants and killed them. Sure enough, that was a queen we killed; we didn't know what it was and are happy to know."..." more
Chuck Abate
Jan 19, 2017
"We had sugar ants for years, winter only. Spent many hours watching them, and finally paydirt. Found them inside a 7' curtain rod above the kitchen counter. Hundreds of ants inside. Removed all of them. Your site identified them as sweet ants. Thanks."..." more
Susie Vale Marcum
Jul 22, 2017
"I have never seen an ant this big in my life. We have been having problems with red ants lately and we put down insect killer this morning and found her running away after we put it down. I believe she was the queen."..." more Rated this article:
Ragen Rogers
Sep 14, 2017
"This article was very informative. I an now able to identify the giant ant found in my yard. Thanks for posting pictures with the detailed descriptions of ants!"..." more
Iris Devas
Nov 28, 2020
"This was very very helpful because my sister had it and I told her about it and it helped out." Rated this article: Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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Co-authored by: Shweta Sharma Biologist This article was co-authored by Shweta Sharma. Shweta Sharma is a Biologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With nearly ten years of experience, she specializes in insect management, integrated pest management, insect behavior, resistance management, ecology, and biological control. She earned her PhD in Urban Entomology and her MS in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida. She also holds a BS in Agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Nepal. This article has been viewed 632,550 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 30 Updated: December 19, 2025 Views: 632,550 Categories: Bugs Article SummaryX
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1 Look at the size of the ant. For many types of ants, queens are much larger than regular worker ants.[1] If you stumble upon an ant that appears unusually large, there's a good chance this is the queen. 
2 See if there are wings on the ant. In many ant colonies, the queen is born with wings. During many parts of a queen's adult life, she will need to fly to find a new colony for mating.[2] An ant with wings may very well be the queen ant.[3] 
3 Look for signs the ant has shed its wings. Queens do shed their wings at a certain point in their lifespan. If you lean down and look at the central portion of the ant's body, you may see small bumps jutting from either side of the ant's body.[4] These are wing attachment points, a sign that the ant once had wings. As queens shed their wings, wing attachment points are a good sign you've found the queen.[5] 
4 Examine the thorax. The thorax is the part of an ant's body that bridges the neck and abdomen. Queen ants will generally have a larger, bulkier thorax than worker ants. 
1 Think about the area where you found the ant. If you're unsure how to identify the queen by appearance alone, consider where you found the ant. Queens tend to be found at the center of an ant's nest. Queens tend to prefer moist areas, commonly found in rotting wood. If you found an ant hiding in a damp area of your home or outside, especially in damp wood, this is more likely to be a queen.[6] 
2 Consider if you have army ants. The vast majority of ant types have larger queens, with bigger thoraxes, who are easily differentiated from worker ants. However, army ants are an exception. Army ants have queens with smaller thoraxes, who look very similar to the ants in this type of ant colony. It may be difficult,to identify the queen when working with these kinds of ants.[7] Army ants are more oval-shaped in appearance than regular ants. They have antennas on their heads, as well as mouth pieces shaped like scissors.[8] 
3 Consult a specialist. If you cannot find the queen, consult a professional exterminator. Ants can be a real problem in your home. If you're unable to discover the queen on your own, or identify the types of ants, look in your yellow pages for an exterminator. 
Shweta Sharma Biologist Shweta Sharma is a Biologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With nearly ten years of experience, she specializes in insect management, integrated pest management, insect behavior, resistance management, ecology, and biological control. She earned her PhD in Urban Entomology and her MS in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida. She also holds a BS in Agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Nepal. 
Community Answer Army ants generally have a lot of breeding females, which some would call the queen. Usually, there is one queen in each colony. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 69 Helpful 157 
Jaundre JvR Community Answer That sounds like the queens are busy with the nuptial flights, if they have lost their wings it is most likely that they have mated with males and are ready to start a new colony. It does not mean that the nest is dying. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 44 Helpful 144 
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