If you’ve never seen an ant queen ant, that’s a shame. They’re gorgeously designed creatures with a high level of intelligence and the ability to survive without living humans. In fact, one member of a colony is so important that she’s held up as the leader of the whole colony!Unfortunately, we’re not referring to Prince William or Kate Middleton here (we wish!).
We’re talking about ants though, specifically queens and their awesome abilities. Not only are they able to live outside human contact (trust us – it sounds amazing), but they are also smarter than practically any other animal in your home. With our help, you can take care of your queen ant and make sure she gets what she needs.
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WHAT IS THE QUEEN ANT ROLE IN AN ANT COLONY?
Queen ants have two primary roles. Early in their lives, they are programmed to begin creating a new colony. After exiting the birthing chamber, she will find a new nest site and lay her initial group of eggs.
Once those larvae have matured and can take care of themselves, the queen turns her focus on to the next stage of her life: Becoming an egg-laying machine. In fact some queens can produce millions of eggs in a lifetime. It should be noted that despite being royalty, a queen ants has no real authority over any member of a colony.
She does not make decisions for other members or direct them; instead, she – just like every other ant in the colony – is motivated by instinct and a general sense of how she can provide for the needs of colony members. The only royal pampering she gets is that other members will bring her food and keep her clean.
WHAT MAKES QUEEN ANTS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ANTS?
Ants in many species follow a specific caste hierarchy. In an ant colony, they have multiple castes: mostly women are worker ants, who forage for food, clean the colony or tend to the queen.
Other castes are soldiers (for protection), drones (the only males) and princesses (up-and-coming queens). In some colonies, ants cluster themselves around one particular queen to protect her – which helps the colony expand quickly. Other colonies do not have any true queens; instead, workers can reproduce on their own. For further information about ants and ant behavior, check out TERRO’s insect library!
HOW ARE QUEEN ANTS CREATED?
Eventually, as an ant colony ages they will shift their focus from growth and reproducing to focusing on their own demise. As this stage is reached, the queen in the current colony begins to produce new queens and drones.
These “princesses” and their male drones will then leave the colony for dead hoping that it’s location provides a fresh source of food for them. They’ll mate shortly after leaving the colony, each finding a new location for themselves to establish another colony and begin reproducing again.
HOW CAN I IDENTIFY A QUEEN ANT?
The queen is different from the rest of the ant colony in several ways. One of them is that a queen can live for an incredibly long time – one scientist had a queen that lived for about 30 years. In the wild, it’s not uncommon to find queens that are more than 10 years old. Ants from other castes may have a lifespan of only 6 to 8 months.Beyond their longevity, queens are almost always bigger than other members of their colonies. This extra bulk helps them lay eggs, but it’s also needed because queens often have wings as well.
These extra appendages mean they need more muscle to power them too. In fact, when you’re trying to identify a queen, the most noticeable difference will be an enlarged thorax (the body segment below the head), and you might see that she has wings as well. Most queens will shed their wings whenever they no longer need them though and these smaller appendages are perfect for ID-ing a queen.
HOW CAN I FIGHT ANTS INVADING MY HOME OR YARD?
Ants are one of the most prolific insects in the world. From a queen to an entire colony, ants can live for many weeks without food or water. With so much mouths to feed, it’s not surprising that colonies constantly search for new resources – be it food, water, or shelter.Unfortunately, those efforts can lead to clashes with people as ants explore our homes and dig up our yards.
The ants nest in huge ant farms, which is why colonies are constantly searching for new resources to feed their growing needs – whether the food source is food or water. Unfortunately, whenever colonies start exploring our homes or digging up our yards, they can sometimes lead to conflict. Keep food sealed – Inside your home, keep food properly sealed and don’t leave any foodstuff or dishes in the sink. Be sure to clean up any crumbs on your counters.
Once an ant colony discovers your kitchen, they will thoroughly explore it for food. Eliminate excess moisture – Check around your home, including leaky fixtures in bathrooms, kitchens and basements. Also try to dry up wet areas around your yard, foundation and flowerbeds. Water is a major attractant to ants, and removing it will encourage a colony to explore elsewhere. Seal entry points – Look for where ants could gain access to your home. Use caulk to close off holes from utility lines, cracks around windows and other gaps that ants can exploit during their search for food.
