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LAS VEGAS – INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ANTS

Ants

LAS VEGAS – INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ANTS

 

Ants are everywhere – in Seven Hills, Spring Valley or Aliante in the Las Vegas Valley. Some of the species are truly unique so we thought you might be interested in the facts about ants below:

 

1-   Ant colonies are larger than the average ant farm. The colonies come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. The average colony is made up of thousands of ants although some species have colonies that consist of only a few dozen. The smaller colonies live in natural crevices and larger colonies create mega nests. Then there are super colonies that can contain more than 300 million ants and they can be found in the United States as well as Japan, Australia and southern Europe.

2-   Ants have specific jobs. They are very social and divide these jobs among the different types of ants that live in the colony. The queen or queens have one function – to lay eggs. All the other female ants are worker ants – they forage for food and supplies, feed the larvae and defend the nest. Male ants have one job – mate with the queen.

3-   Ants do not have ears. They “hear” by feeling vibrations in the ground – having special sensors on their feet and knees. Ants also use the antennae and hair on their bodies to feel around when searching for food.

4-   There is one ant species that is only female. The species is called M. smithil and the queen reproduces asexually – making offspring clones of the queen. This type of ant is found in Central and South America.

5-   Ants can become zombies. There is a fungus that can infect an ant and takes control of it’s body. Then the ant leaves the colony – finds a leaf and bites it with a “death grip” and dies. A few days later the fungus will release spores to infect more ants – some species of ants have learned to recognize the infected ants and carry them far away to protect the rest of the colony.

6-   Ants can lift 10-50 times their body weight. Their muscles are thicker relative to their body allowing them to carry heavy objects.

7-   Some ants are homeless. Not all species build a nest or colony. There are around 200 species that are known as army ants. They have two phases of their life – nomad and stationary. The army ants travel during the day and attack other colonies and insects for food. At night they build a temporary nest and move the next day. The stationary period is when the queen lays eggs.

8-   Ants are found almost everywhere on Earth. The only continent than is ant free is Antarctica.

 

Ant control is important for health and safety reasons. GLOBAL PEST SERVICES in Las Vegas is a licensed pest control company that is qualified to handle all your pest elimination needs. Call our office at 702-657-0091 or go to our web site- www.globalpestlasvegas,com to speak with us for all your pest control needs. Get a quote now!

 

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