What are ants and how do they live (lifecycle)?: Ants have 4 stages, egg, larvae, pupae (or cocoon in some species) and adult. The tiny .5mm eggs hatch out into larvae that, as they grow become successively more hairy. It is the sticky surface on the eggs and the hooked hairs on the larvae that enable them to clump together. This makes it easier for the ants to move them to a new location in times of threat.
The pupae (or cocoon in some species) develops into an adult ant in about 8 weeks and it emerges very pale and soft. In a few hours it darkens as its exoskeleton hardens.
Ants comprise three main castes, which have different roles:
Workers - the largest part of the colony, build and maintain the nest, look after the eggs and larvae, gather or hunt for food, defend the nest and care for the queens.
Queens - mate with males, found new colonies and lay eggs. Can be twice the size of other ants.
Males - sole purpose is to mate with a queen.
The job an ant does in the colony depends upon its age. Young ants tend to the queen deep within the nests and, as they get older and more experienced, they go outside to forage.
The life span of the ant varies with species from a few weeks to several years. The queen of the black Ant (Lasius niger) can live for up to 15 years.
The ant's body comprises a hard outer covering called the exoskeleton; it's armour for protection and to prevent water loss. There are three section head, thorax, and abdomen.
Ants are the most common animal species found on the ground.
There are about 50 species of ants living in the United Kingdom, but not all are native. The ones that are a problem to gardeners are Lasius niger, the common Black garden ant, Lasius flavius, the yellow meadow ant and Myrmica species, red ants.
|
What damage do ants do and how do I recognise it?: Black, red and yellow ants are found in the garden and, towards the end of July, swarms of flying ants take to the air looking for a mate and a place to lay their eggs.
Black Ants are most commonly seen, in the house attracted by sweet food and milking greenfly and blackfly for the sweet honeydew. They can protect these from predators and if necessary move them to new feeding grounds. Black Ants can nest anywhere including under pavements and along the sides of lawns with nests of usually 4000 to 7000 ants.
The Yellow Meadow Ant builds its nest in the lawn making unsightly mounds which are difficult to get the lawn mower over. They benefit from a neatly tended lawn as the short grass means that the nest underneath gets sufficient sun to stay warm. They forage under the ground so tend not to be seen until the nest is disturbed or they take to the air for the annual mating flight.
Red Ants are aggressive and can deliver a painful sting if disturbed. The irritant in the sting is formic acid. They live in smaller colonies than the other species, about 300 individuals.
|
