ANT FACTS | IDENTIFICATION & CHARACTERISTICS
Ants are eusocial insects of family Formicidae, and are related to wasps and bees, and belong to the order Hymenoptera. There are an estimated 20,000+ species of ants worldwide, making this one of the most prevalent and successful types of insects on Earth. Ants are most easily identified by their distinctive node-like structure which forms their waist, as well as their elbowed antennae which on termites will appear straight.
ANT HABITS | DAMAGE, FOOD SOURCE & REPRODUCTION
An individual species of ant often has a very specialized diet, but when considering all 20,000+ species of ants it must be said that ants have one of the most diverse diets in all of the animal kingdom. Most ants forage for their meals which may be found in sugary foods, meats, vegetables, seeds, grains. Some ants are wood destroying but generally do not cause anywhere near the level of damage that termites are capable of. An ant colony contains one or more queens and their sole purpose is to reproduce. In a single queen colony the death of the queen means the death of the colony, whereas colonies with multiple queens will thrive. The queen controls the sex of her offspring and produces new queens only when there are sufficient workers to allow for colony expansion. The number of eggs produced also varies on the species of ant. Ants undergo a complete metamorphosis (egg, larvae, pupa and adult).
EVIDENCE OF ANTS | SIGNS OF INFESTATION & WHERE TO LOOK
The presence of ants is usually the most obvious sign of a potential problem. Upon further inspection, you may find hundreds or even thousands of additional ants in or around the home. The specific locations for where to look are based on the species of ant you are attempting to locate. Often times ants are found foraging for food in the kitchen, whereas another type of ant will only be found excavating the wood of a structure. An infestation of ants can quickly become become severe if left untreated.
Frequently Asked Questions | Ants FAQ
Q: How long do ants live?
A: This depends on the species of ant. Most worker ants live for less than a year as adults and some ants live for only a few weeks. In contrast, most queens live for less than a year but some queens may live for over ten years with one queen living and producing eggs for 22 years under laboratory controls.
Q: How many ants are in a colony?
A: The size of an ant colony on the type of ant. Some colonies contain only a queen and a few workers, while the largest colonies ranging into the millions.
Q: What does a queen ant look like?
A: The queen ant is often the largest in the colony. If you compare the thorax of a queen to a worker of the same species, you will find that the thorax on the queen is approximately 4x larger than the thorax of the worker.
Q: How do I know if I have ants or termites?
A: Most people cannot tell the difference between ants and termites. Ants have segmented body parts while termites appear similar without the pinched waist. An ant’s antenna are elbowed whereas termite antennae are straight. Ants and termites have a second pair of wings, but the wingspan of a termite will extend approximately 1 ½ times the length of the body where the wingspan of ants is much smaller.
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We were so happy with the results we thought it would be good to have monthly treatments from then on out, but Alert 1 had a better plan. We now do monthly inspections, which are cheaper for us, and we know we aren't laying down a whole bunch of chemicals in our house that we do not need.
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