Formicidae
ANT
FACTS AND IDENTIFICATION
Scientific Name
Ants are common insects. An ant can lift 20 times its own body weight. Ants don’t have ears, instead they “hear” by feeling vibrations in the ground through their feet. They are very social insects and typically live communities. There are more than 12,000 ant species and live all over the world.
Identification – What do ants look like?
Ants come in various shades of light to dark brown, red, and yellow as well as black. Ants have 3 body parts which include a head, thorax, and abdomen. An ants abdomen is divided into the petiole, post-petiole (when present), and gaster. Ants have 2 elbowed antennae and powerful jaws. Most ants have 2 large compound eyes. Ants have 6 legs attached to their thorax. Queen ants are much larger than males or worker ants. Queens and male ants have wings. The queens wings are torn off during mating. Worker ants do not have wings. Ants range in size from .03 to 2 inches.
Habitat and Habits
Ants typically live in structured nest communities under the ground, in ground level mounds, or in trees. Ant communities are headed by a queen or queens. Queens lay thousands of eggs. Worker ants, which are usually seen by humans, are wingless females that never reproduce, forage for food, take care of the queens off-spring, work on the nest, protect the community, and perform many other duties. Male ants mate with the queen and then die soon after. Ants live several weeks to several years. When the queen dies, the colony will only survive a few months. Queens are rarely replaced and the workers are not able to reproduce.
Diet – What do ants eat?
Ants are omnivores – they eat everything. In the wild, most eat seeds, nectar, sap, and other invertebrates. When they come into our homes, They can eat almost anything humans eat. Their favorite foods are sweets, meats, pet food, and fats.
Ant Control – How to get rid of ants?
Ants are highly social creatures. Seeing one ant likely means more are nearby. And killing some ants won’t take care of the problem. Effective ant control often requires finding and treating the colony. Ant control can be difficult, and we are here to help.