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If you have ants in or around your home, you may be interested in learning more about them and their daily activities. Perhaps you’re even looking for answers to some questions online. You may simply wish to know what you’re up against!
Ants, as we all know, are tiny, hardworking creatures. But did you know they can also be quite interesting? Here are 8 surprising ant facts that will change your perspective on these tiny insects.
8 Surprising Facts About Ants
Ant Fact #1
Ants appear to be constantly active. However, this is due to the fact that ants take extremely brief power naps at staggered intervals, which means that there are always ants awake while others are sleeping.
Unfortunately, this means they can break into your home at any time of day or night. According to a recent study of ants’ sleep cycles, the average worker ant takes approximately 250 naps per day, each lasting just over a minute. This equates to 4 hours and 48 minutes of sleep per day. The study also discovered that at any given time, 80 percent of the ant workforce was awake and active.
So, the next time you see an ant marching across your kitchen countertop, remember that it’s just taking a break from its never-ending work.
Ant Fact #2
Do ants go into hibernation? For years, people have been perplexed by this question. Ants appear to vanish during the winter months, but what exactly are they doing?
Ants, it turns out, are experts at “overwintering,” or waiting out the cold weather before returning to work. When the temperature drops, ants seek out warm places and congregate in clusters. While they prefer deep soil or under rocks, if they find their way into your home, they may choose to spend the winter in your walls.
Ants will begin to emerge from hibernation and resume their work as the weather warms. So, if you’ve been wondering what happened to all the ants in your yard over the winter, now you know – they were just sleeping!
Ant Fact #3
Do ants sting? When there is an ant problem, this is one of the first questions people ask. The truth is that all ants have the ability to bite. Many species found in Northern Virginia, on the other hand, are unlikely to do so (as it is not part of their defense mechanism).
Field ants, crazy ants, and carpenter ants, on the other hand, are the most likely to bite. There are, of course, stinging ants. When threatened, a fire ant will sting as well as bite. As a result, some people may experience severe allergic reactions.
The bites of most ants are not poisonous in general. They may cause some discomfort and localized inflammation, but that’s all. However, there are a few exceptions.
Some people are allergic to the venom in an ant’s bite. This can range from mild swelling and itchiness to anaphylactic shock. If you are allergic to ants, you should avoid them completely.
An ant’s bite can transmit disease in some cases. The bite of a tropical fire ant, for example, can transmit Leishmania Mexicana, a parasitic infection that causes skin lesions.
Another thing to keep an eye out for is an infection known as myiasis. The eggs of certain flies that lay their eggs on or in open wounds can cause this condition. There is a chance of this happening if an ant bite breaks the skin.
As you can see, there are several reasons to avoid ants. However, they are not a threat in the majority of cases. Don’t be alarmed the next time you see an ant crawling across your kitchen floor; they’re just doing what ants do.
Ant Fact #4
Any species of foraging worker ant you might encounter in your home will never have wings. That is, if you see winged ants in or around your home, they are most likely on a mission to establish a new colony!
This occurs during the “budding” process, which occurs when a colony becomes too large and a new one must be formed. A single structure may be surrounded by dozens of colonies.
Winged ants are also known as “swarmers” because they are known to travel in large groups when establishing a new colony. It’s best to avoid them if you see a large number of them at once; they can be quite aggressive!
If you come across an ant swarm, keep in mind that they are only interested in establishing a new home, not in invading yours. As long as you don’t bother them, they’ll usually leave in a few days.
Ant Fact #5
Ants, like humans, consume a wide range of foods and are classified as omnivores (meaning they will eat the food of both plant and animal origin). Ants are opportunistic feeders that can be found in and around your home. They will eat anything you leave out, and crumbs may even attract them to your kitchen if food is scarce.
While almost any food will suffice in an emergency, ants do have a few dietary preferences. They enjoy sugary foods like honey and fruit juices. Protein is also important to ants because it aids in the construction of their nests. Insects are a favorite protein source, but they will eat meat, cheese, and other proteins as well.
Ant Fact #6
The lifespan of odorous house ants is approximately 90 days. This may appear to be a short sentence, but in the ant world, it is quite long. Most ants have a life span of about 45 days. As a result, odorous house ants are thought to be quite long-lived creatures. This is most likely due to their diet; they consume a lot of sugary foods, which provide them with energy and allow them to live longer.
Imported fire ants, on the other hand, have a lifespan of about 5 weeks. This is most likely because they are not native to the United States and lack the natural defenses that our more common species have. Queens can lay up to 1,500 eggs per day, allowing their colonies to grow quickly as well, but they do not live as long.
While the average lifespan of an individual ant differs greatly between these two species, the rate of egg production is roughly the same. As a result, while one species may live for many years, the other will reach its population size in a fraction of that time. This just goes to show how important it is to know what kind of ant you’re dealing with when trying to get rid of it!
Ant Fact #7
Did you know that ants can be found on every continent except Antarctica? This is due to the fact that the weather is too cold for them to survive!
Ants are fascinating creatures. They usually find their way into a house in search of food, shelter, and water. Although many ant colonies exist outside, forager ants will enter the home in search of these necessities.
Ants can live behind baseboards, moldings, countertops, and even within the walls of a house. You might see an ant walking along with your countertop or scurrying across the floor if you’re lucky.
Ant Fact #8
Have you ever thought about how ants always seem to know where they’re going? It’s because pheromones are used to communicate!
Pheromones, or scent chemicals, are produced by all ants. These pheromones aid in attracting other ants. This is how ants make trails leading back to their nest.
For example, when an ant finds food, it emits a pheromone that alerts the other ants to the location of the food. When there is a threat, ants produce a different type of pheromone that tells the other ants to flee.
Conclusion
Ants are among the most fascinating creatures on the planet. They never fail to captivate our attention with their complex societies and intriguing behavior. We hope you had as much fun learning about these eight amazing ant facts as we did writing them.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments section below.
