Ants belong to the Hymenoptera order and are renowned for their scavenging habits. They will often clean up dead animal carcasses as well as other garbage on the ground.
They may assist with pest control in some areas. However, they can become a problem when their nests become out of control and pose risks to people, animals, pets and other items.
Habitat
Ants live in a variety of habitats, such as underground nests in anthills or tree cavities or inside homes. Additionally, they forage outside for food sources like crumbs or sugar left by humans.
Ants typically live in colonies. These communities consist of various ants, each with a distinct role within the colony. Some provide food for their fellow ants; others build nests and distribute chemicals that allow everyone to communicate more effectively.
Different species of ants employ various foraging strategies, such as the harvester ant that stores grass or seeds in its nest. Other ants feed on fungus that grows inside their homes.
Some ants can move quickly, such as Jerdon’s jumping ant. Other species possess wings which they use for flying.
Foraging ants are capable of entering buildings to search for food sources. They typically enter homes through cracks in walls, foundations, and other entry points.
To stay safe, keep your home tidy and organized. Store food in sealed containers, sweep up crumbs and spills promptly, patch up any holes or openings that could allow ants into your house, and thoroughly wash any food or cleaning containers after using them.
They often invade homes to search for food sources. Once they locate it, they eat it and return to their nest to share the bounty with their peers.
They are surprisingly strong for their size; a group of them can lift up to 20 times their own weight! This power allows them to build nests and persist in the wild for extended periods.
Food
Ants are omnivores that need a varied diet of proteins, carbohydrates and fats for survival. While meat and other protein-rich foods tend to preferred, some species may prefer fruits and vegetables too.
They consume everything from decaying plant matter and animal remains to food left by other insects in your home or garden. Furthermore, they attracted to sugary substances like sweets, candies and fruit juices.
Like other social insect colonies, they share food among their nestmates. Worker’s ants often store liquid food within their abdomens and regurgitate it to other members when there is not enough available within the colony.
These ants are especially active during times of scarcity, when food sources from outside limited. Nestmates signal worker ants to feed by sending signals through their antenna and forelegs.
Ants possess what are known as chemosenses, chemical sensors that enable them to detect certain chemicals even at very low concentrations. When they find food, they leave pheromones behind to alert other ants of its presence so they can return and share it with their colony.
They have long observed eating honeydew, a sugary substance produced by aphids while feeding on plant sap. These ants have formed an uneasy alliance with these pests, protecting them while collecting their honeydew in return.
Feed to ants can also be preserved (fresh) insects such as flies, termites or moths; however, these should only be collected from pesticide-free areas. Wild insects have a higher risk of exposure to chemicals and parasites that could transferred onto the ants.
Nest
Ants typically build their nests in the ground, where they have easy access to food and a secure home. However, they can also build nests inside houses or buildings as well as trees.
Ants typically live in colonies that consist of a queen, many female worker ants, and occasionally males. The queen is the largest ant in the colony and her job is to lay eggs; if she succumbs, so does the entire community.
Workers and scout ants collaborate to find food for the colony. Once they’ve located a source, they leave behind a chemical trail for other members of their group to follow.
Nests are usually mounds of earth with an opening at the top. Some ants create tunnels and chambers that extend several feet below ground level.
Some ant species will even construct massive anthills or hills that can extend miles in length. They excavate the earth with their mandibles and use it to construct tunnels, chambers and anthills.
Ants often build their nests in wood, such as carpenter ants. Some also utilize other materials like plastic and paper.
Many species of ants are farmers, collecting seeds or fungus to nourish their nests. Conversely, some are predators and feed on insects or other small creatures.
Some ants, such as harvester ants, store grass, seeds or berries in their nests. Leafcutter ants strip leaves from plants to create a fungus they consume. Furthermore, some ant colonies may form supercolonies with multiple queens living together.
Workers
Ants build colonies in a variety of places, such as underground or on leaf litter. Each colony has a queen who lays eggs that form workers and other winged forms. They construct and defend the nest, collect food sources, and safeguard against predators like birds or snakes.
The queen ant is the most crucial member of her colony, as she lays the eggs that form other ants and transports sperm, she lays into a sac called a spermatheca that she stores throughout her entire life. With these sperm, she can fertilize her eggs to create infertile females called worker ants and fertile males known as drones.
Worker ants may carry out various roles within the nest, such as collecting trash or caring for wounded comrades. They could even serve as babysitters to the queen’s young.
Research has revealed that certain ant species take royal duty seriously: They transport their young queens out of their nest and into other colonies, where they can mate with different males to prevent inbreeding. This may be the first known instance of third-party matchmaking among animals.
Ants accomplish this by carrying their young queens in their mandibles and taking them outside of their nests. After placing the queen in a mating chamber, she is then mating with males from several other colonies.
Researchers found that worker-produced larvae fared better in a reunited colony compared to one which had separated queen right or queen less for 10 weeks before reunification, and they hatched faster in such an environment. Furthermore, workers had an extended reproductive lifespan when caring for their own brood versus having no brood at all.
Queen
Queen ants are the most vital members of an ant colony, providing food for other ants in the nest and laying eggs. They’re also the largest and most recognizable members due to their larger and thicker bodies compared to other ants.
Ants typically have a queen, as they follow a caste system in which individuals have specific roles that are determined by genetics. Most species have an alpha female that leads them towards success in life.
The queen ant is at the apex of their caste system and she possesses wings like a princess. When she mates with a male ant, they take off together to form their own colony. Once established, the queen will continue to lay eggs.
She retains sperm from her initial mating, and can use it to fertilize her eggs at will. Fertilized eggs become female worker ants (the larger of whom are known as soldiers), while unfertilized ones become fertile males known as drones.
Scientists have long sought to unravel how ants become the distinct species of workers and queens, but the answer remains elusive.
Researchers in America have recently identified how a gene called insulin-like peptide 2 (ILP2) plays an important role in this process. ILP2 helps the ant’s body absorb more nutrients.
Researchers discovered that ants born with high levels of ILP2 were more likely to reproduce than their low expression counterparts. This may be because those born with higher ILP2 have an advantage in feeding fertilized eggs, ultimately helping them grow into queens.
However, the study indicates these effects don’t occur in every case. For instance, during times of stress such as droughts, ants might be more likely to suppress ILP2 expression and prevent queen development – likely as a way for them to conserve resources and ensure their colonies thrive more easily.
Recommended reading: How Animals Communicate
