Different Types of Ants and How to Get Rid of Them - Smore Science (2023)

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Ants may seem simple at first glance. Upon closer inspection, you may find that there are ants in the colony itself that look different. This goes further and ants of different species and types come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Different species of ants have different behaviors and some can even engage in farming. But how do you recognize which species of ants you are dealing with and what is the most effective way to get rid of them? In this article, we'll take a look at the different types of ants and their behavior, and give you some handy tips and tricks on how to get rid of them from your home or garden.

Grab your magnifying glass; Now we venture into the tiny kingdom of ants.

There are over 1,000 species of ants in the United States. Some of them are more common than others, but others make good pesky pests. Here are four species of ants that plague homes across the United States.

Scientific name:Solenopsis

Size: 1/8 to 3/8 diameter (3mm to 9.5mm)

Characteristics: Red with blackBelly,or dark brown-black with visible spines. They appear in large colonies.

If you ever come across a fire ant nest, put on some sad music. With colonies of up to half a million ants, these ants can throw "fire" at your feet. These territorial ants will aggressively attack any intruder, so turn around.

There are two types of fire ants in the United States: red and black imported fire ants. These ants are native to South America and came to the United States on ships. Today, these pests plague residents of the southern United States. You might think these ants would be called fire ants because of their red color. However, the name comes from the burning sensation one feels when being stung by these ants. This is due to the effects of a poison called piperidine.

Fun fact:You might want heavy rain to flood this anthill and hope the fire ants go away for good. Floor! Fire ants mate in rafts, float on them and carry their eggs on them until the water level drops.

Scientific name:Camponotus

Size:3/8 to ½ Cala (9.5mm to 12mm)

Characteristics:Carpenter ants have dark brown, black or reddish hues. Look for wood chips and wood dust - there may be a colony of carpenter ants nearby.

Carpenter ants can make a whole set out of rotted or damp wood. Their large heads have a pair of stout headslower jawhelping them chew wood. Carpenter ants nest and tunnel, and have parent colonies and spin-off colonies called satellite colonies. Queens in a carpenter ant colony can live almost 25 years! Carpenter ants will not attack unless provoked. Their strong jaws combine with their large body to produce a powerful bite that can even tear skin. They even go further and spray copiouslyformic acidAcid on the wound to increase the pain.

Fun fact:species of ants inCamponotusfriendly, so calledCamponotus napompowany,stores nectar andHoneyinside and can swell to the size of a bunch of grapes. They are commonly called honey ants.

Scientific name:Seated Tapinom

Size:1/16 to 1/8 scale (1.6mm to 3.2mm)

Characteristics:dark brown to black; smells like coconut, thoughoccurred. It has small nests and mostly lives in wall cavities, pipes or other damp places.

These ants are also called "sugar ants" because of their craving for sweet food. In addition to nectar and plant juices, they also feed on wormsaphids. Indoors, smelly house ants feed their sweet tooth with drops or drops of sugar syrup and exposed sources of sugar, such as fruit or desserts. House scent ants are found throughout the United States; However, they are more common in northwestern states like Oregon or Washington.

Fun fact: House scent ants change their nests every three months in response to rain and monsoons.

Scientific name:Monomorium faraona

Size:1/16 to 1/12 scale (1.6mm to 2mm)

Characteristics:Tiny golden bodies.

Pharaoh ants have ties to Africa and are thought to be imported into the United States. Pharaoh ants nest indoors in winter. Their favorite places are in closets, hot tubs, behind curtains and window panes. Nothing soothes them more than a warm and humid environment. The size and color of these ants help them to be sneaky. While they can ruin your sweet treats indoors, they cause serious problems in hospitals. They can transmit germs that cause various diseases, e.gsalmonella.

Fun fact:These ants have been found in tightly secured labs and even in intravenous tubes.

This time, neither bait nor tricks will help you say goodbye to these pests. The best thing you can do is to give your kitchens and rooms a thorough cleaning and seal any cracks before winter hits. In case of invasion, call the dissident.

These were some of the ants found in the US. Now for the crazier, even weirder species of ants that probably won't bother you too much.

Scientific name:paraponera clavata

Size:0.7 to 1.2mm (18mm to 30mm)

Characteristics:Reddish black. It has large mandibles and a large, visible spine.

Bullet ants terrorize the rainforests of Central and South America. They don't have their eye-catching name for nothing. Her sting hurts and it feels like a bullet has pierced the skin. The poneratoxin in song venom attacks the nervous system and causes pain. The skin at the injection site swells, and the person may tremble and twitch from the pain. Cold compress andPainkillercan help relieve pain. Bulletproof ants are also called "24-hour ants" because the pain subsides after a day. Food for bullet antsNectarand small insects.

Fun fact:Glass butterfly larvae were convenient food for these ants until butterflies evolved, which produced larvae that tasted bad.

Scientific name:Atta cefaloty

Size:1/16 to ½ Cala (1.6mm to 12.7mm)

Characteristics:light brown. Four pairs of spines on the back provide a thorny appearance.

Leafcutter ants have been cutting leaves with their sharp mandibles for over 50 million years. However, leaves are no fun for ants. The ants use the leaves as a food source for a fungus called Lepiotaceae.Ants cannot digest these leaves, but fungi can. Once the fungus has digested the leaves, the ant can feed on them to meet its nutritional needs. Leafcutter ants don't have a stinger, but their bite covers up the lack of a stinger. These ants are found in very few places in the southern United States. Most of these ants live in the dense forests of South and Central America.

Fun fact:These specific fungi do not occur naturally outside of ant nests and have evolved to the point where they are completely different from the wild-type variants.

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lower jaw:Small squeezing organs in front of the mouths of ants and other insects

formic acid:The fluid contained in the stings of many insects. This acid damages skin and tissues

honey:A sweet liquid left behind by insects called aphids

boric acid:A component of detergents and soaps. Boric acid kills insects when ingested

Aphids:Aphids, also known as "ant cows," are worms that eat the plant's sap and excrete honeydew for the ants to collect later

Painkiller:A drug that can relieve pain by blocking the nerves that send pain signals to the brain

Nectar:A sweet substance in flowers that attracts insects. Many insects use nectar as their main food