An excessive avoidance of ants: Quite often those, who have an abnormal fear of the family of Formicidae, are also phobic about other tiny insects and are afflicted with myrmecophobia.

Some people who have abnormal fears of dirt or contamination may also fear the presence of these tiny social insects near food or in the kitchen, and probably have myrmecophobia.

If they have such a obsessive-compulsive disorder, they may continually wash kitchen counters and the inside of their refrigerators as a ritual to give themselves a sense of assurance that no insects or other sources of contamination are present.