If you have ants in your garden there are a few things you can do to get rid of them. First try to identify the type of ant and their nest location. If you can find the nest you can treat it with an insecticide.
If you have ants crawling on plants or in other areas of your garden you can use a homemade insecticidal soap or an ant bait. Ant baits are usually more effective than insecticidal soap.
To make your own ant bait mix 1 part sugar and 1 part boric acid. Place the bait in a small container with holes punched in the lid so the ants can get inside. The ants will take the bait back to their nest where it will kill the queen and the rest of the colony.
If you have an ant problem that you can’t seem to solve you may need to call in a professional pest control company.
How do ants communicate?
Ants communicate through chemicals called pheromones.
How do ants benefit the environment?
Ants help to aerate and turn over the soil as they travel through it which helps to improve plant growth.
They also eat other insects including pests which can help to keep gardens and crops healthy.
How do ants find food?
Foraging ants leave the safety of their nests in search of food.
They communicate the location of food sources to other ants by leaving a chemical trail as they walk back to the nest.
What do ants eat?
Ants are mainly predators and scavengers and their diet consists of other insects honeydew (a sweet substance secreted by aphids) and other plant material.
How do ants digest food?
Ants have a very efficient digestive system that helps them to break down and extract nutrients from the food they eat.
How do ants reproduce?
Ants reproduce through a process called complete metamorphosis which includes four stages: egg larva pupa and adult.
How long does it take for an ant to become an adult?
Depending on the species it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months for an ant to go through the complete metamorphosis process and become an adult.
How do ants care for their young?
After an ant hatches from its egg it is cared for by other ants in the colony until it is old enough to fend for itself.
How long do ants live?
Depending on the species ants can live anywhere from a few weeks to several years.
How do ants protect themselves from predators?
Some ants use their stingers to inject poison into their predators while others release a cloud of noxious gas or spray acidic liquid from their abdomens.
Some ants also have thick exoskeletons that make it difficult for predators to penetrate their bodies.
Do all ants sting?
No not all ants sting.
Only female ants of certain species have stingers.
How do ants defend their nests?
Some ants use their stingers to inject poison into predators while others release a cloud of noxious gas or spray acidic liquid from their abdomens.
Some ants also have thick exoskeletons that make it difficult for predators to penetrate their bodies.
How do ants communicate with each other?
Ants communicate through chemicals called pheromones.
They use these pheromones to indicate things like danger food or the location of the nest.
How do ants cooperate with each other?
Ants cooperate with each other by working together to complete tasks that are necessary for the survival of the colony.
For example ants will work together to build their nests care for their young and defend their nests from predators.
What is the largest ant colony ever found?
The largest ant colony ever found was in Japan and consisted of about 306 million ants.
