In most ant colonies, the ants have a queen who is noticeably larger compared to the rest of the ants. This is the most common differentiating factor between queen ants and the regular ants. In many species of ants, the queens are also born with wings, a feature that the rest don’t have. This is because during the queen’s life, she may need to fly to find a new colony.

The other classical feature of the queen ant is the thorax. For most, this is the most distinct physical feature differentiating a queen from the rest of the ants. A queen ant has a thorax that is much more muscular compared to workers’ bodies. In fact, the thorax of a queen ant may make up more than half of the size of its body. In fact, the thoraces of most queen ants tend to be much larger than some ants.

The location of the ant is also likely to determine whether it is a queen or not. While most ants are all over the place, queen ants can only be found within the ant nest. If you need to see one, you may need to first find the nest and then find the center of the nest to see the queen.

The role of the queen is to mate and produce many worker ants, so there is minimal need for her to move unless she needs to find another colony. Finding the nest can be an arduous and time consuming process. You would be better off consulting a pest control specialist to find the nest.