Why Is It So Hard to Get Rid of Ants?
Ants are tiny insects that have lived in the world for more than 140 million years since the Cretaceous period. They can be found in all residential, industrial, and commercial places; more than 13,800 ant species are classified into 22,000 families. They are of different colors and sizes, and the ants in the forest and mountain areas are more giant and ferocious than the ants in human living areas. These ants are not so harmful to humans; though they bite humans, their bite will not be as painful as bee stings or paper wasp bites. In this article, we are going to discuss, why it is so hard to get rid of ants.
Why Is It So Hard to Get Rid of Ants?
Ants are social insects that prefer to live with their colonies and are divided into two main groups: reproductive and non-reproductive. Ants have workers who are responsible for collecting food from the surroundings and foragers who keep the nest fed with a number of ants. So, why is it difficult to get rid of ants? This is because they have been living with humans for millions of years and are attracted to food.
Like cockroaches, ants can also survive any disaster and climatic conditions. Because they build their nest mainly under the ground and live safely during winter. They will collect food throughout the year and save them for the future. You could get a keen idea by knowing their lifecycle.
Lifecycle of Ants
There are four main stages in an ant’s lifecycle: egg stage, larvae stage, pupae stage, and adult.
Egg Stage
Ant eggs are oval-shaped and tiny; they look like dots. A queen ant lays about 800 eggs but not all the eggs will make it to adulthood; some of the eggs will be eaten by their mates for extra nutrients. Ant eggs will take a month to hatch into the larvae stage, and it’s an endless cycle.
Larval Stage
The larva stage is worm-shaped and is not fully developed; like other ants, larvae can also eat their own body, so the queen will lay a separate set of eggs for larvae to eat. The adult ants are responsible for bringing food for the larva, and the larva will eat what other ants chew. Ants will stay in this larva stage for about 60 days and go through metamorphosis like butterflies.
Pupae Stage
It is the time of metamorphosis, and in this stage, ants will start growing, and they look a lot like adult ants. During this stage, their legs and antennae are folded to their bodies, and they will start growing. Ants will move these pupae to other nests to protect them from other animals.
Adult
Pupae will take about 9 to 30 days to grow as an adult, and the younger adults will often be lighter in color and become dark in the upcoming days. Like other insects, ants will also stop growing once they reach adulthood.
Conclusion
Above mentioned is the lifecycle of an ant, and it is not easy for an ordinary person to eliminate the presence of ants. If you want to get rid of ants, hire a professional pest control service and can follow some DIY methods like food storing habits.