Some insects are found all across the globe. They can pretty much be found on every continent usually with the exception of Antarctica. One of those insects are ants. Ants are ubiquitous and no matter where you are, they can be just as tenacious as they are here. Homes and business owners fight them every spring because they search for new places for food and shelter. But there are ways to protect yourself from ant invasions. In this article we will explore ants, their life cycle and how to deal with them and keep them out of your home or business.
ANT ORGANIZATION
Ants are an eusocial insect. This means that they live in a hive. All of the individuals work together in order to bring betterment to the entire group. These insects use a caste system to take care of the day to day ongoings of maintaining the colony. At the bottom caste, are the workers. These are the most numerous of all of the ants. Worker ants are almost always female. Even though they are female, they do not reproduce. Their job is to do the menial tasks such as forage for food, bring the food to the colony, feed the larva and other caste members, eliminate waste and many other things. They are the workforce of the ant colony.
Next in line are the soldier ants. These ants are there to protect the colony from predators. They are usually larger, and in many cases have large heads and other weapons that they wield. Some of these weapons are glands to produce acid and other formidable weapons are at their disposable to protect the colony. When they do come in to action, in most cases they give their life for the colony. More on this from you local Broken Arrow pest control company.
COLONY REPRODUCTION OF ANTS
At the top of the ant caste system are the reproductives. The head of all of this system is the queen ant. She is tasked with laying all the eggs for the colony. The queen is larger in size than most of the other ants because of her egg laying apparatus. She will lay eggs for the majority of her life, night and day in order to keep the population high enough to maintain what is needed. In addition to the queen there are also Swarmers. Swarmers are flying ants that leave the colony in an attempt to meet with other flying ants from other colonies. Once they find a mate and mate with that other flying ant, they will create a new colony.
Yet another method that the colonies can reproduce by, is by splintering. This happens when a group of workers is separated from the main colony. When they can not get back then one of the workers will become a reproductive and take on duties as a queen. This creates a new colony. The way this happens is that there are pheromones produced by the queen of the original colony that keep the workers from becoming reproductive. When they are separated from the queens pheromones for too long, they will become reproductive. Each species of ant has a different method by which they reproduce their colonies. Your Broken Arrow exterminator is here to help.
VENOMOUS ANTS
There are many different species of ant. Once species of ant, known as the indigenous fire ant, uses a venomous bite to protect its colony. If you ever come across one, they will bite your skin and it will hurt. In addition to the indigenous fire ant there’s also the non indigenous fire ant here in Oklahoma. This is an invasive species that has come in to our plains. They’ve been pushing out the indigenous ants for many years. It’s important to eliminate these ants to protect the indigenous species in the area. Contact the best Tulsa pest control company for help.
Ants forage for many different kinds of food. Often ants will pray upon other insects. Termites are common prey for many different ant species. They will attack a termite colony and attempt to feed off its young, workers or soldier ants. Often Termite soldiers will give their lives in a battle against ants in order to protect the termite colony. Ants often will scavenge for dead insects and remove them as well. Protein is a big part of the development. Ants often will scavenge for dead insects and remove them as well. Protein is a big part of the development of young larva.
GO GO JUICE
In addition to the need for protein, ants need carbohydrates as well. Carbohydrates provide the energy to go out and do all the work that is necessary for the adult ants. Often carbohydrates are found in the form of honeydew. Honeydew is the droppings from aphids that feed upon nectar of flowers and another plants in the area. This highly surgary substance gives ants the energy that they need in order to complete the work necessary to maintain the colony.
The ant lifecycle develops with a complete metamorphosis. This means ants are started by an egg laid by the queen. After a while, this egg will hatch and a larva will emerge. This larva, or worm like structure, is a very young ant. The workers will feed the larva until it gets to the point where it can pupate. During the pupa form, these insects will cocoon for a time until they can develop into a full grown adult. They will emerge from their pupa as a full grown adult ready to take on whatever workload their caste demands of them.
DEALING WITH ANT PROBLEMS
Ants can be very troublesome if you find them in your home or business. If you’re having trouble with ants it’s time to call and a professional Tulsa exterminator. If you’re looking for the best in the business, TermMax Pest Control can help you with ants, rodents or any other pests that you’re dealing with. We serve the greater Tulsa area including Broken Arrow, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, Coweta, Claremore, Catoosa, Owasso, Prattville, Bixby, Jenks, Turley and much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!