House Ants

It’s not hard to tell if you’ve got ants. You’ll see them. Make sure you keep food tightly sealed and crumbs swept up. Ants can be attracted to sugary foods, so make sure to clean up any sweet drinks or desserts that are spilled.

Ants’ bodies are divided into three sections: the head, the thorax and the abdomen. They have elbowed or bent antennae that are used for sensory purposes. Their six long legs are attached to the thorax. The legs have a hooked claw on the end for carrying and climbing over rough terrain. Only the reproductive ants have wings.

Most ants are omnivores. They’ll eat anything. Outdoor varieties will eat animal protein, vegetation, and insects. The indoor varieties will modify their diet to whatever the humans in the house eat. Sweets, meats, animal food…they like it all.

Ants build all kinds of colonies. Some are small, exclusive, predatory colonies with few ants. Others are large mounds that are intricately built with a definite caste system. These larger colonies typically look like a large pile of dirt. They are far from just dirt though. Instead they are basically small cities with an upwards of a million ants living in them. The larger colonies will have a large reproducing queen, reproducing drones, and sterile female workers.

• Queens can live up to 30 years.
• Ants can carry objects that are 50 times heavier than they are.
• Some varieties will enslave others and force them to work for them.