Biology of Sugar Ants
Ants are a fairly common household pest, and there are several different families and species of ants commonly found in homes across the country. Carpenter ants, sugar ants, and fire ants are all annoying to one degree or another in certain parts of the country. In this article, we will discuss the biology of sugar ants, but first I think it’s a good idea to convince you of why this knowledge is important.
For many years, the only answer people had when it came to dealing with any kind of pest was toxic poisons. Gas, sprays, and poison baits were all used in a very broad manner at the first sign of a pest. While it would be wrong to say these measures were ineffective, they were certainly limited in their effects. More often than not, some individuals would survive the campaigns (among insect pests, that is; vertebrates usually perish in a very obliging manner) and would in fact become immune to the treatments. The result was stronger poisons and more insects, with all of their natural predators having been eliminated.
Not only was this approach ineffective, it was also harmful. As mentioned above, blanket gas and poison attacks often killed off many of the natural enemies which kept the pest populations in balance. Not only that, these poisons were dangerous around children and could contaminate food and ground water as well as being harmful to ingest. Integrated pest control takes a much more specific approach; by understanding species such as sugar ants we are better able to eliminate and control infestations.
Social structure of the sugar ant
Sugar ants live in colonies similar to any other ant. They have a queen responsible for reproduction and programming the individual insects, and workers responsible for the day to day survival of the colony as a whole. Unlike fire ants, sugar ants are not very aggressive, and their main pest quality is that they are a nuisance to the eye. They also smell quite bad when they are stepped on or otherwise squished.
Sugar ant habitat
Unlike carpenter ants, sugar ants to not have strong mandibles and cannot carve their way up into wood. They make their nests in soft ground, usually outside of a house. They make their way in through any available crack, including drains and uncaulked spaces under doors and windows.
Sugar ant diet
It should come as no surprise that sugar ants are very attracted to anything that has a sticky smell to them. It’s actually kind of amazing to watch a double line of sugar ants harvest the last few drops of liquid from the bottom of an empty Coke bottle; it’s really hard to believe that any creature could be either that patient or that efficient. Obviously, anything sweet laying around the house is going to get the attention of the ant; in fact they can also be drawn to food sources that are not so sweet, such as pet food and even litter.