Ants are small insects that live in colonies. If they are found at any place, their colony must be nearby. In Kansas, seeing different kinds of ants is not uncommon, and you can even find ants inside homes. They usually infest houses in search of food and shelter.
These tiny creatures are really hardworking and get their food across by carrying it all the way to their mounds. It takes a lot of effort and energy, but they still do it every day. The ones that we usually come across are the black ones. However, there are other kinds of ants, too.
Female ants have two sets of chromosomes, while the male ones only have one set of chromosomes and therefore do not have fathers. Ants are commonly attracted to sweet food items. Thus, leaving any such items in the open can attract them to your kitchen counter or even to the table.
Wherever you leave food items in the open, ants can make their way to that source. It is essential that you keep your kitchen clean and keep food in tight containers. This website can help you contact pest control services if it gets out of hand.
What does an ant caste involve?
There are various members in the caste system. We will look at some of the members and discuss their characteristics briefly below:
- Workers
These are females that are non-reproductive, and they do not have wings either. In their colony, they are found in bulk. Their lifespan can be either one year or a few years.
There are also workers who do not have ovaries at all. The virgin ones among the workers lay haploid eggs. They turn out to be males. It is usually seen in orphaned colonies.
- Males
Most of the males have wings, but there are some that possess short wing,s and some do not have wings at all. They are found in a colony for only a brief period of the year. They also live for only a few weeks. They die soon after mating.
- Queens
In most species queens are winged and are the ones responsible for reproduction. Some species can have short wings, and some can even be wingless. There are several queens in the colony that can mate and reproduce. Their lifespan is the longest and they can live upto twenty-five years.
What are the functions of queens?
Female castes can differ considerably in both their functions and physiology. Functional ones are reproductive; they are sexual breeders. Helpers are usually sterile. If we talk about the morphology, ants either have wings or do not have wings.
There is a pheromone that queens release that helps attract males. They release it into either the air or into the substrate. Once the mating is done, the wings get broken, and the queen finds a colony for themselves.
What function do soldiers perform?
They are responsible for protecting the colony. The soldiers have distinct shapes that result from something called allometry. Some workers are responsible for defensive operations. In some species, workers also crush seeds, and they are responsible for storing food as well.
Males are mostly fully winged, and they are accountable for dispersion in vast numbers, too. The copulation that happens between a male and a female can go on for hours.
Queens get into mating with more than one male, which is not seen in some other species. One can observe the insects closely in a laboratory.
Ant infestation? Contact pest control today!
If you are dealing with an ant infestation, you must be aware of how annoying it can be. Thus, it is essential that you remain aware of all the possible ways to deal with it.
However, when nothing seems to be effective, it is best to seek help from a professional. They can help you get those stubborn beings out of your place.
