All About Ants

For many years now there has been a mounded ant’s nest on my mother’s property. During the winter months, birds peck and scratch at the nest looking for an easy snack. In the early spring, the ants begin to emerge, moving slowly. As things heat up, the nest becomes a teeming mass of ants in a frenzy of activity. These thatching ants (Formica spp.) are red and black and have never caused my family any trouble.

Go anywhere outside, and ants are one of the first insects to be seen. There are ants on the sidewalk, crawling across a picnic table, and going up and down trees. Worldwide, ants outnumber us a million to one. The total weight of all the ants in the world is equal or more to the weight of the entire human race. 10, 000 species of ants have been identified in the world, and scientists estimate that at least double that number remain to be discovered in the tropics. Ants are very abundant, and very successful, and they have been around a hundred times longer than humans.

Ants came into existence 100 million years ago, and originally evolved from wasps. Unlike wasps, ants have elbowed antennae. The ant’s body has three main parts; the head, middle section (mesosoma) and back end (gaster). The head has two antennae, or feelers, that are highly sensitive to smell. Pincher-like mandibles enable the ant to carry food, dig and defend. Ants have two compound eyes that are, like those of flies, made up of many small eyes connected together. All six legs, with sharp claws at the tips, are attached to the mesosoma. A narrow wasp waist called a “petiole” connects the middle section to the gaster. In many species, the gaster contains a poison sack that is used for defense.

Key to ants’ success is the social structure of their colonies, and the ability to communicate through complex chemical signals. Though other insects such as termites, bees and wasps have social organization, none has been as successful as the ants.

Generally, ant colonies are made up of a “worker” caste and a “royal” caste. The workers are sterile, wingless females, who have various jobs, including defense of the colony, food gathering, and tending to the eggs, larvae and pupae of their baby sisters. Workers are “slave-like robots” and will readily sacrifice their lives for the good of the colony.

The royal caste consists of winged males and females (queens) that can reproduce. At sometime in the spring or summer, these males and females take flight to mate. Immediately after mating, the male dies, having served his purpose, and the female goes on to found a new colony. The queen then begins her life long task of producing thousands of babies

In an informative short film called “Little Creatures Who Run the World,” the colony is described as follows: “The ant’s nest is like a Swiss watch. Complexity comes from many intricate parts doing separate, simple jobs, all with a clean and humming precision.” Ant colonies may be found in the ground, in rotten wood, or in mounds of grass, needles and other materials. Some colonies persist for several generations, and can be a hundred or more years old.

It is unfortunate that ants are commonly regarded as pests. It is true that some species, such as carpenter ants, can cause considerable damage to homes. And an ant nest in an inconvenient spot can certainly be an annoyance.

For the most part ants are beneficial insects, and have a very important ecological role. Many ants prey upon other insects that are pests to humans. Studies in Washington and Oregon have shown that ants reduced the pupae of two destructive, defoliating moths by as much as 85%.

Often living and foraging in soil and wood, ants help to break down organic matter, and are effective in mixing the soil. The mixing helps with mineral cycling, aeration, and soil drainage, all crucial to soil productivity. Studies have proven that ants are equal or better than earthworms in the amount of soil they mix. Ants also pollinate many plants, and disperse seeds. Ants spread the seeds of Pacific Bleeding Heart, a common native plant in our area.

Ants are an important food source for birds and mammals. Birds feed on ants year round, and also at times allow the ants to run over their wings and bodies to remove any parasites. In BC, ants are an important food source for bears. Bears dig into old logs, or overturn rocks to unearth ant nests. They often feed on ants in the late summer, before the berry crop ripens, and in years when the berry crop is poor, they may for a time depend upon ants.

Ants are fascinating, beneficial insects, that do not necessarily need to be destroyed. In fact, an ant nest on the property can be a great source of interest and entertainment! Since the ants vastly outnumber us, and have been around for so much longer than humans have, perhaps we should give them more respect.

To see a video of the ants in action, go to Dave’s blog. To explore more of Vancouver Island’s nature and eco-destinations, visit Island Nature.

Filed under Nature Writing | Tags: ants, British Columbia, Formica spp., thatching ants, Vancouver Island | Comment (0)