Ants are attracted to food sources. Ants can smell the pheromones of other ants from a distance. The scent is released through their antennae and it travels up into the brain where they interpret that it means there’s food nearby.
Sugar is the food that ants are most drawn to. Sadly, sugar may be found in the majority of foods and drinks. They enjoy chowing down on sweet-smelling foods and beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup. Ants benefit greatly from food spills and crumbs, and ants favor any food that has a strong smell. In addition, ants also enjoy eating dead insects, and other organic debris, such as leaves, as well as oil and grease.
When do ants come out?
Ants generally emerge from underground chambers during warm weather in the springtime to look for food. During the summer, large numbers of winged queen ants come out to fly and find a mate (commonly known as flying ant day).
Furthermore, ants are most active at night. About 15 minutes after sunset, workers ants emerge from the nest. They follow chemical trails in search of food, sometimes hundreds of feet from the nest, and often produce permanent, well-worn pathways through the grass, similar to cow paths.
After working, workers return to the nest to rest and socialize with other members. During the day, ants tend to be more solitary than at night. In fact, ants may spend the daytime resting on logs or stones rather than returning home.
What repels ants?
The chemicals used to keep ants away from your home are called repellents, and some people use them regularly. Find out which repellents are most effective if you want to permanently get rid of ants.
The following are some of the most widely used ant repellents:
Boric acid – This chemical is often used to prevent ants from getting into food storage areas. It’s also useful for killing ants once they’ve made their way inside.
Citronella – A natural plant extract that acts as an insecticide. It smells good and works great at keeping ants out of your kitchen.
Essential oils – Essential oils such as peppermint, clove, and citrus oil may act as a deterrent. You can get them online or at local stores.
Formic acid – Formic acid is a liquid that comes from ants’ waste. You can spray it directly onto the ants and it kills them instantly.
Hydrogen peroxide – Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful bleach. It is relatively safe for humans to handle
Powdered charcoal – Charcoal is a porous form of carbon. It absorbs odors and keeps the air clean. Use it to kill ants before they make their way indoors.
You can combine these different methods to create your own personal pest control plan.
How long do ants live?
Ants can live for a few weeks to several decades, depending on their gender and colony state. Male ants, for example, live the shortest lives, only lasting long enough to procreate with female ants before dying after a few weeks.
Female working ants live in the colony for a few months at a time, working and serving their queen until they die. Finally, the queen of an ant colony can live for many years, even up to 30.
The black garden ant has one of the longest lifespans among the 13,800 ant species (Lasius niger). In lab conditions, queen black garden ants have been found to live up to 28 3/4 years.
Where do ants live?
Most ants live in tropical climates, although some species prefer colder weather. Ants are usually found outdoors, though some species will enter homes when there’s no other choice.
There are about 1 million known ant species worldwide, and each species has its own unique characteristics. The majority of ants live underground, where they build nests and protect themselves from predators.
Almost every place on the earth is home to ants. Only Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and some island nations lack significant ant populations.
How big is a colony of ants?
Normal ant colonies typically contain anywhere between 1,000 to 100,000 ants while supercolonies can contain millions of ants that live together.
How many ants are in the world?
There are an estimated one quadrillion ants on the planet, according to myrmecologists, paid scientists who study ants.
Additionally, there are roughly 14,000 different species and subspecies of them, and each year, new ones are discovered.
Do all ants bite?
No, not all ants bite. Some ants bite, but most don’t. The following species are some of the most prevalent ants that bite and sting:
- Fire ant – Fire ants have stingers on their bottoms and pinchers on their heads. They are brightly colored and occasionally even black. The reason why fire ants are called that is that when they sting, the venom they exude feels like it is burning. Because of their color, some people call fire ants “red ants.”
- Carpenter ant – A larger type of ant with pinchers on its head, carpenter ants are roughly 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch long. Carpenter ants can also be red or brown, though they typically appear black. Because they construct their nests inside of wood and favour areas close to moist or damp wood, carpenter ants receive their moniker.
- Flying ant – The queen ant will produce flying ants (ants with wings) for mating when her colony needs to grow. There are flying ants in the colonies of all ant species, including carpenter and fire ants. In the late spring and early summer, after heavy rains and high humidity, flying ants typically emerge during warm temperatures. These ants can bite or sting if they feel threatened and need to defend themselves, but they don’t aggressively attack people unless they are disturbed.
- Sugar ant – On a hot summer day, ants that like eating sweets like sugar may ruin your picnic. The size of sugar ants, or Camponotus consobrinus, ranges from 2 to 15 millimeters. In general, male ants are black, whereas female ants occasionally have an orange color to their bodies. A sugar ant can protect itself by utilizing the pinchers on its head if it feels threatened. Although sugar ant bites don’t hurt, they can trigger allergic reactions.
How to treat an ant bite?
Ant bites normally go away on their own and don’t require treatment, but if they bother you, medication is available to relieve your symptoms. Unless your symptoms are severe, most treatment options are available at home and do not require a visit to your healthcare practitioner.
If your symptoms from an ant bite linger longer than a week to ten days, see your doctor. The following are at-home remedies you can resort to if you are bitten by an ant:
- ice to reduce swelling
- acetaminophen to relieve pain
- antihistamines to stop itching
If these don’t work, a healthcare professional will recommend new or stronger therapies.
How to get rid of ants?
Ants can quickly multiply and spread throughout your home. As soon as you discover an infestation, you need to take action immediately. Removing ants by hand is difficult and requires patience.
If you have access to a pesticide, use it to eliminate the ants. Otherwise, you’ll need to rely on homemade remedies. Here are some tips to help you get rid of ants:
- Remove clutter around your home.
- Spray borax or citric acid on the nest.
- Place baking soda on the ground near the nest.
- Sprinkle powdered charcoal over the area.
- Pour boiling water over the area.
- Apply hydrogen peroxide to the area.
- Fill a bucket with soapy water and place it near the ants’ nest.
- Reapply pesticides in the infested area every few days.
- Call an exterminator if none of the above solutions work.
What happens if you don’t remove ants?
Depending on the type of ant, you might get bitten. For example, common red ants bite. Normally, it’s black ants that like to enter homes. Black ants don’t bite. But they do forage for food and it’s not pleasant having a colony of ants running around your kitchen and finding them in your food. If you don’t get rid of them the problem may spread as the queen continues to lay eggs.
One ant to really watch out for is Pharaoh ants. Pharaoh ants carry disease, but thankfully they are not very common. If you have Pharoah ants it would be best to throw out your food to avoid getting sick. Pharaoh ants also have a nasty bite so it is best to call in the pros.
