Ant (smaller than 3mm)

Formicidae

Insect with chitinous carapace
Crawling

Annoying pest
Hygiene and health pest
Stock/Storage pest

Ants are generally considered a nuisance when they are found in large numbers in living spaces and gardens. They like to attack food and supplies in the household and in the kitchen. They are not directly harmful in the garden or in plant cultivation. However, plants can be damaged by aphids, which are bred by the ants for their own food (milking). Because the ants rummage the soil heavily, the plant roots lose direct contact with the soil and growth is severely impaired.

Ants do not transmit diseases. One exception is the PHARAO ANT. She has been shown to transmit germs such as salmonella, streptococci and staphylococci to food, surfaces or objects. In hospitals, this can lead to serious hygiene problems.

MORE DATA

Class: Insects
Size: 0.7 to 20mm
Weight: 4 to 12mg
Age: 3 months to 20 years
Appearance: Black, red, brown, yellow
Food: Varies according to species
Distribution: Worldwide (except Antarctica), approx. 10’000 species
Original location: Unknown
Habitat: Unspecific
Natural enemies: Birds, spiders, amphibians
Sexual maturity: In spring (only the queen)
Mating season: In spring
Social behaviour: Colony-building insect
Threatened with extinction: No

All ant species live together in colonies (states). The size of states can range from a few hundred to several million insects. The largest known ant colony is located on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, France and Italy, it is almost 6’000 km long with an estimated several billion individuals.
Worldwide, about 10’000 different species of ants have spread to almost every ecosystem (with the exception of Antarctica).
From October to February, European ants are inactive (hibernation).
Ant types in the state:
– Queen, laying eggs
– Winged males, for reproduction
– Workers, food procurement, protection and defence of the colony against intruders and enemies
Ants use scents called pheromones to communicate with each other.
Ants carry 50 to 100 times their own weight.
Some ant species care for aphids on plants. They secrete sweet honeydew, which is “milked” by the ants and used as food. In return, the ants protect the aphids from hostile insects.
For the ecosystem, ants are important “waste disposers”. They collect and recycle dead animals and thus improve the quality of soil fertility. Ant nests loosen the soil and bring nutrients into the humus layer.