All About Ants - Ant Facts & Information

Ants may be small, but they are incredibly hard working insects. Belonging to the family Formicidae, ants are close relatives of bees and wasps, and like them, they live in highly organised societies. With over 12,000 known species, ants can be found on every continent except Antarctica, adapting to diverse environments from dense rainforests to arid deserts!

Ants communicate using pheromones (chemical signals), this is a way to pass messages to each other. They coordinate large scale efforts, like for foraging, using this method. Ant keeping has become a popular hobby, allowing people to observe the social behaviors and fascinating lives of ants up close. Ant keepers often provide colonies with specialised habitats and ensure they have proper food and moisture.

Many ants can carry objects up to 50 times their body weight, showcasing their impressive strength. Some species, like leafcutter ants, are farmers; they collect leaves, which they use to cultivate a fungus that serves as their primary food source for the leafcutter ant.

Others, like fire ants, can form rafts with their bodies to survive floods. Ants are also known for their fierce defense tactics; army ants, for example, move in large groups and can overwhelm prey many times their size.

Common Ant Species UK

In the UK, there are 51 species of ants, we don't see all of them, but these are the most common

Black Garden Ants

The Black ants are the most common ant, they build nests underground and spend their time foraging for food. They love sugary substances, so they tend to search for places to get these (like our homes!)

In the summer, they, among other species, are seen swarming to reproduce.

Red Ants

Also known as the European Fire Ant, Red Ants are red brown in colour and can deliver a mild sting, where as most ants in the UK can't.

Yellow Meadow Ant

This less visible species spends its life underground. They play an essential role in aerating soil and build dome shaped nests in grassy areas.

Behaviour and Ant Colonies

Queen

The Queen ant is the central figure of the colony, and plays the role of reproduction. A Queen ant is typically much larger than the workers and has wings when she first leaves her parent colony.

The queen’s primary responsibility then becomes egg-laying, producing thousands - even millions- of eggs over her lifetime, which can span several years or even decades in some species.

Worker Ants

Worker ants are the heart of the colony, performing almost every task needed for its survival. They are non-reproductive females who carry out all essential duties, including foraging for food, defending the nest, caring for the young, and maintaining the nest structure.

Workers are incredibly resourceful, creating complex tunnels and chambers within the nest and even farming fungi or “milking” aphids for food in certain species.

Male Ants

Male ants, often called drones, have a much shorter and simpler role compared to queens and workers. They are produced seasonally, primarily for the purpose of mating, and typically do not contribute to the everyday functions of the colony.

Why Are Ants Important?

As ants dig and build their underground nests, they create a network of tunnels that naturally aerate the soil. This process improves soil structure, allowing water, air, and nutrients to penetrate more deeply, which helps plant roots grow stronger and healthier. Additionally, as ants collect organic matter and food, they break it down and return nutrients to the soil, contributing to nutrient recycling that benefits plants and other organisms in the ecosystem.

What do Ants Eat?

Ants obtain food in various ways depending on the species. They are generally omnivorous, feeding on insects, seeds, fruits, and honeydew from aphids.

Certain species have unique methods: leafcutter ants, for example, cut leaves and use them to grow a fungus within their nests, which serves as their primary food source.

In other cases, ants might tend to aphids for honeydew or stock up on seeds and insects in food stores to sustain them during harsh seasons. Their varied diet and efficient foraging skills contribute to their resilience in diverse environments.

Breeding Season

Ants typically breed during specific seasons when winged males and virgin queens leave the colony for nuptial flights. After mating, the males generally die, while the queens seek new nesting sites to establish a new colony. Once settled, the queen begins laying her own eggs, and her first brood will hatch as host workers who take on roles within the colony.

The Queen ant can live for several years, continually laying eggs and maintaining the colony's growth, while worker ants handle other tasks like foraging and defending the nest.

What do Ant Nests look Like?

Ant nests are as diverse as the species that build them. While some species, like the yellow meadow ant, construct subterranean nests with complex tunnel systems, others prefer nesting in hollow stems or decaying wood.

Certain ants, like the army ants, are nomadic and do not build permanent nests, forming temporary shelters out of their own bodies to protect the colony members. Leafcutter ants create underground chambers to house their fungus gardens, while some ants in tropical regions build their nests within trees.

Five Facts about Ants

1. Many ants can lift objects up to 50 times their own body weight, making them among the strongest creatures relative to size.

2. Leafcutter ants cultivate their own food by growing fungus, making them one of nature’s few “farmers.”

3. Ants have been around for over 100 million years, meaning they coexisted with dinosaurs.

4. Ant colonies function with extreme efficiency, dividing labor among colony members to manage food, defense, and nest maintenance.

5. Ants are found on every continent except Antarctica, demonstrating their adaptability and resilience.