No one wants to see a colony of ants invade their home. On top of being annoying or upsetting, an ant infestation can cause some serious damage to your home, especially if we’re talking about carpenter ants.
And yet, even if you don’t want to see them anywhere near your home, ants can be fascinating insects. For example, did you know carpenter ants don’t eat wood but chew through it to carve tunnels and build their nests?
Here are ten ants’ characteristics if you want to learn more about these tiny pests.
Characteristic #1: They come in different sizes
The size of ants can vary greatly from one species to another. With approximately 10,000 species of ants worldwide, it’s no surprise that some will be tiny while others will be quite big.
The smallest ants are believed to be the workers of the Carebara Atoma species, which don’t get longer than one millimetre. As for which ant is the biggest, it’s believed to be the giant Amazonian ant, which can be 1.6 inches long.
Characteristic #2: They also come in different colours
Ants also come in different colours, depending on their species and whether they are male or female. They are usually black, brown, red, orange, yellow, or a combination of these colours. Some have hairs on their body, and others have nearly transparent abdomens and legs, such as the Ghost ant.
If you are trying to identify a type of ant, you can rely on their size and colour to help you determine which species of ant you are dealing with. A pest control professional can also help you pinpoint which species of ants have infested your home.
Characteristic #3: They have six legs
Like many other insects, ants have six legs, each with three joints. Their body is divided into three sections: the head, which has powerful jaws and long antennae, the thorax, and the abdomen.
Ants have an exoskeleton, which means they don’t have bones inside their body like we do. Instead, their internal organs are supported and protected by a waterproof and hard covering, an exoskeleton.
Characteristic #4: They enjoy an omnivorous diet
Ants are omnivores but have different food preferences depending on their species. Generally, they can eat leaves, fungi, honey, insects, and dead animals.
Some species of ants are even known to produce their food. Leafcutter ants, for example, use leaves as fertilizer for their fungus farm. They help the fungus grow and then use it as a food source.
Characteristic #5: They are incredibly strong
Ants are intelligent insects, but they are also incredibly strong. Some species of ants can lift to 20 times their weight.
Their strength makes it easy for them to bring food to their nest, including other insects, either dead or alive. It also makes it possible for them to fight other insects, even some that are much bigger than them.
Characteristic #6: They are eusocial insects
Some of the most fascinating characteristics of ants are related to their complex social structure. Ants are eusocial insects, which means they have an elaborate form of social behaviour.
In an ant colony, each ant has responsibilities. They can forage for food, care for the young, maintain their nest, and protect their queen. This cooperation between them brings them many benefits but also some constraints.
Characteristic #7: There are three different types of ants in each colony
A colony has three types of ants: queens, drones, and workers. The queen is at the center of a colony, and her main responsibility is to reproduce. A colony can have just one queen or many of them.
Drones are male ants with wings; their only purpose is to mate with a queen ant. As for the workers, they handle different responsibilities, but they never get to reproduce.
Characteristic #8: Their life cycle has four stages
The life cycle of an ant has four stages. They start as eggs, which the queen lays. These small eggs can look like grains of rice.
Then, they become larvae, which have no legs. Next, they become pupae, which look like adults but are the same cream colour as eggs, and finally, they become adults.
Characteristic #9: Some species of ants are asexual
Some species of ants are asexual, meaning the queen doesn’t need any male to mate. Instead, she will reproduce by cloning herself, and her clones will become worker ants and future queens.
Characteristic #10: Their life span varies depending on the species
On average, the lifespan of an ant is about six months. Different species will have different life spans, and how long they live also depends on how much food and predators are around.
Some species of ants will live for up to 4 years. However, some ant queens can live between 5 to 15 years, so their colony can last very long.
Also Read: 8 Spider-Friendly Solutions for Your Home: Pest Control Tips!
