What are ANTS?

Ants are cousins to wasps and bees. They are curious insects that pick the interest of many academicians and scientists due to their ability to organize their colonies and the complexities of their systems.

These small engineers are easily identifiable by their node-like butts and curved or elbow shaped antennas. These antennas serve as their sensors. Some ants do not have a sense of sight, but their olfactory senses are impressive. They have three pairs of legs that allow them to move fast and tread lightly on surfaces. Currently, there are more than 20 ant species, and more than 10,000 types, and their sizes vary between two millimeters and 20 millimeters. Their colors also differ between cream, orange, red, brown and black.

But more than their ability to form lines and sniff their way to the kitchen, ants are more popular because of their ability to expand their colonies vastly for hundreds and hundreds of meters. They can travel up to 100 yards from the colony in search for food and carry items that are ten times heavier than their own weight.

Ants use their mandibles, the pincher looking claws near the mouth, for carrying, biting, crushing, cutting, digging, fighting, and hunting. Meanwhile, this insects use the mouth not only to eat, but also to clean themselves and nest mates.

These insects feed on protein based food such meat and fats and sugar-based treats like candies and bread.

WHAT DO ANTS do?

Ants like to extend their territory and to do this, the queen has to lay many eggs and the fertile male ants need to continuously mate. By doing this, the leaders are able to sustain the stability of the colony. The community is composed of workers and soldiers.

The workers are the most hardworking insects in the world as its responsibilities include finding food, building the colony walls, and keeping the queen fed. The ant workers build the colony by combining soil and their saliva and piling them together to form sturdy walls.

Meanwhile, ants that are responsible to look for food are sometimes the reason behind the holes on the long-kept bed sheets and clothes that are made of at least 25 % cotton. The ants are attracted to these materials because it can be transformed into carbohydrates once ingested. Carbohydrates are important for ants after the mating season.

Aside from working hard, ants are also notoriously known for their painful bites. Sometimes, without knowing, humans disturb the colonies in the garden or house walls. This disturbance prompts the soldiers to defend the cluster and will attack the nearest possible threat. The soldier ant bites can sting and victims will feel instantaneous pain because these insects release toxins or venom as a defense mechanism.

Where do ANTS usually hide?

Ants like to nest on places that are not easily disturbed like under the trees, flower pots, voids of house walls, behind baseboards, or even inside the cup boards.

These little critters do not like the rain, therefore they move a lot during the summer. They stock on food the entire summer so they can stay hidden during the winter or fall.

They like warm and dry areas which makes the closet an attractive place to nest. While the kitchen holds all the necessary materials for their survival, the presence of too much water sometimes deter ants. Void of walls is the most active place to build a nest because it is never disturbed