Ants
Overview
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order
Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and
diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000
species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist.
Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised
colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of
"workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more
fertile females called "queens". The colonies are sometimes described as superorganisms because ants appear to operate as a
unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony.
Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ants are remote or inhospitable
islands. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15-20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed
to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with
other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic and mutualistic relationships.
Ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems. These
parallels with human societies have long been an inspiration and subject of study. Many human cultures make use of ants in
cuisine, medication, and rituals. Some species are valued in their role as biological pest control agents. However, their ability to
exploit resources brings ants into conflict with humans, as they can damage crops and invade buildings.
Click on the links to the left to find out more on individual UK species.
</i> are small ants (2.5mm - 3.0mm in length), and are called " crazy" because of their erratic movements.<p><h3>Biology</h3><p>Colonies of crazy ants are moderate to very populous. On warm, humid evenings, large numbers of males gather outside nest entrances and may mill about excitedly. Workers patrol vegetation and other structures nearby. Periodically, a queen emerges. Mating is thought to occur in such groupings around the nest entrance. Wings of queens are removed while still callow and males were never observed to fly or use their wings in any way.<p><h3>Distribution</h3><p>The crazy ant occurs around the world, involuntarily transferred by humans, and is a common house pest in tropical climates.<p><h3>Significance</h3><p>The crazy ant has achieved pest status across the United States. To date, this ant is very seldom seen in Britain.<p><h3>Control</h3><p>Control is often difficult to attain. A planned survey using insect monitors will reveal areas of infestation. These should then be treated with insecticides using a full crack & crevice method. The use of caulking materials as proofing agents may help prevent infestation.','success')){kind=link}
</i> are small (1.3mm - 1.5mm) greenish-grey ants. They are hard to see properly without a magnifying lens, and are often confused with pharaoh ants. Worker ants have the habit of running around erratically when disturbed, but will "trail" to and from food sources. They tend to prefer sweet substances to eat, but also consume dead insects when they find them. When crushed the ants give off the smell of rotting coconuts!<p><h3>Biology</h3><p>Ghost ant colonies are unstructured, with multiple queens. They typically occur in disturbed areas such as flower pots, in the folds of clothing in airing cupboards, spaces between books, or in small voids. These ants exhibit complete metamorphosis with worker ants living for about 10 weeks, and queen ants up to a year.<p><h3>Distribution</h3><p>Ghost ants are a particular pest in the Southern USA. In Florida it is considered one of the most significant ant pest species. In certain areas of Venezuela, the ghost ant is responsible for the biological control of another pest, the triatomine bugs. Ghost Ants are only found in centrally heated buildings and glasshouses in the UK.<p><h3>Significance</h3><p>Ghost Ants are regarded as a pest because of the nuisance they create, but they are also quite capable of transmission of bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella.<p><h3>Control</h3><p>A thorough inspection is necessary to determine the source and extent of any ghost infestation. The inspection must extend to all areas of the building. Once the source of the infestation and any harbourages are located, they should be treated using sweet baits containing a slow acting poison such as boric acid.','success')){kind=link}
</i> are very small (2 mm) oval straw coloured ants. They feed on a wide range of foods, but prefer protein - so will eat scraps of meat, and are known to be attracted to the suppurating wounds of hospital patients. Pharaoh Ants need access to fresh water. To the naked eye, they resemble tiny moving grains of sand, and typically infested large, centrally heated buildings, blocks of flats and nursing homes.<p><h3>Biology</h3><p>Pharaoh ants nest in the heating ducts and voids of buildings, forming large unstructured colonies. Larval grubs are tended by workers, and take 5 - 6 weeks to develop into mature worker ants. Each worker ant lives for up to six weeks. Infested rooms may have pharaoh ants under wallpaper or in cracks and crevices behind skirting boards, or even in plug sockets. Typically, these ants "trail" to and from a food source.<p><h3>Distribution</h3><p>Pharaoh ants are tropical in origin, and can only survive in heated buildings in Britain.<p><h3>Significance</h3><p>Pharaoh ants forage across a wide range of surfaces, and could be responsible for the contamination of food, and for the transmission of disease - particularly between patients in the hospital environment.<p><h3>Control</h3><p>A thorough inspection is necessary to determine the source and extent of any pharaoh ant infestation. The inspection must involve test baiting and visual inspection. Once the source of the infestation and any harbourages are located, they should be treated using insect growth regulator based baits','success')){kind=link}