“It is the ant, not the lion, which the elephant fears.”
This is such an interesting quote about ants, hinting at their cleverness, strength and abilities.
Ants, there are so many reasons to admire them, with their ability to work together in an organized team with a leader and workers, and, yet there are so many reasons as well, why you wouldn’t want them to take up residence on your property.
While ants are effective in helping to enrich the soil, control other pest populations, improve pollination rates and contribute to a healthy ecosystem, they also help increase some pest populations and they can wreak havoc on your lawn and trees.
To learn more about the good, the bad and the ugly on ants, check out our blog, “Ants & Your Yard”.
With ant season here, we thought we should share some surprising facts about ants:
1. Ants are among earth’s oldest living creatures. They existed alongside the dinosaurs and survived a mass extinction event.
2. Ants help control pests naturally. According to Tower Garden, “Ants are such an effective biological control agent, in fact, that some growers introduce them on purpose as part of an Integrated Pest Management strategy.” And this isn’t a new idea, either. Accounts of farmers using ants to control pests date back to 300 A.D.”
3. Ants can improve pollination rates. “As pollinator populations decrease, many gardeners struggle to achieve consistent, hearty harvests from fruiting crops. But ants can assist! By marching from flower to flower in search of food, ants often act as unintentional pollinators.” (Source: Tower Garden)
4. There are over 12,000 ant species worldwide.
5. Ants are the longest living insect. The queen ant of the Pogonomyrmex Owyheei species can live up to 30 years.
6. The ant is one of the world’s strongest creatures in relation to its size. A single ant can lift 20 times their body weight. Plus ants are very effective at working together to move larger objects as a group, including leaves and twigs.
7. Ants hold the record for the fastest movement in the animal kingdom. The trap jaw ant species is able to close its jaws at 140mph. This is used to kill prey and protect itself from predators.
8. Ants are found on every continent except, ironically, Antarctica.
9. Ants don’t have ears. “Ants “listen” by feeling vibrations from the ground through their feet, and eye-less ants such as the driver ant species can communicate by using their antennae! Plus, they can send chemical signals (called pheremones) released through their body to send messages to other ants! They send out warnings when danger’s near, leave trails of pheremones leading to food sources and even use them to attract a mate – a sort of ant love potion!” (Source: Shawnee.k-state.edu)
10. “Ants don’t have lungs. Air enters and leaves through tiny holes all over their body.” (Source: Pest World for Kids)
11. Ants leave a pheromone trail where ever they go so they know where they’ve been
12. The largest ant’s nest found was over 3,700 mile wide. It was found in 2000 in Argentina and housed 33 ant populations with millions of nests and billions of workers.
13. Ants have been to space. In 2014, the International Space Station took 8 groups of ants to space and conducted an experiment which looked at how ant colonies responded to the extreme environment of microgravity when trying to solve their collective need for resources.
14. Leafcutter ants, which are found in Alberta, actually don’t eat leaves.
If ants have become a problem around your property, the check out our blog for some “Do-it-yourself tips and options to treat your lawn and yard for ants without chemicals”.
If these natural options don’t work, Earth Smart Property Solutions offers insect control services. Learn more here.
Sources:
Tower Garden, Got Ants in Your Plants? Here’s What You Need to Know
Pest World For Kids, Kids Ant Facts
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