Ants are insects that belong to the family Formicidae and are related to wasps and bees. Their colonies can range from 100 to several thousand and depending on the species, they can cause some significant damage.
Here are some things you may not know about ants:
1. For every human, there are about one million ants. This means there are roughly 7,000,000,000,000,000 (or seven quadrillion) ants on Earth.
2. Ants can carry objects that are more than 20 times their body weight. If we could do the same, the average man would be able to carry a mid-sized sedan.
3. Several species of ants will actually enslave other ants. They will take other ants captive and make them work for their own colony. Some only take other species while others will take ants of their own species. Some ants will even raid a colony, kill the queen, and take the workers.
4. Ants can live anywhere from a few weeks up to 30 years, depending on the type of ant (worker, queen, etc.) and the species.
5. Because ants don’t have ears, they “hear” using their feet to feel vibrations in the ground.
6. Ants are as old as dinosaurs. The oldest known ant fossil is around 92 million years old, but scientists estimate that ants evolved around 130 million years ago during the Cretaceous period.
7. Many species of ants have only one queen of the colony, and when she dies, the colony cannot function without her and is essentially doomed. Other species have several queen ants (which means the colony can still survive when one dies) and other species even fight each other to establish a new queen.
8. Every year, red fire ants cause $5 billion in damage, including medical treatment, control, and infestations.
9. In many parts of the world, ants are considered delicacies. In India, the pupae of some species are considered a form of insect caviar while in Thailand, green weaver ants are used as an addition to a salad called “yum.”
10. There are around 12,000 known species of ants, though scientists estimate there may be as many as 22,000.
Ants are a very interesting insect, but they’re not one you want invading your home. If you believe you have an ant infestation, contact our Summerville pest control experts. We can help you eliminate your unwanted guests.
