ANTSSmall size doesn't hamper success of these busy bugs BY BILL WIIST You don't have to be big to be successful in this world. Just look at the tiny ant. They may not look like much, but ants are incredibly successful animals. They've seen the dinosaurs come and go. They live all over the world, except in extreme cold. And they seem to easily overcome mankind's best efforts to get rid of certain kinds of ants. NOT ALL ALIKE Maybe to you there's only one kind of ant - the kind you squish beneath your shoe as it scurries across the sidewalk. But in fact, there are more than 1,000 species of ants worldwide. And usually there are different types of ants within each of these species. There are 65 types of the Australian bulldog ant alone. While most of the ants you will see are either brown or a rustcolor, if you look hard enough you will also find ants that are yellow, purple, green, and blue. You can count on all ants, however, having six legs and a tough skeleton on the outside of their bodies. Some ants are blind, while others actually have five eyes. How do blind ants know where they are going? With their antennae! The ant's antennae are amazing things in themselves. Ants communicate with each other, explore and even smell with their antennae. The jaws of an ant are called ''mandibles.'' Able to eat through wood, dig through soil, or fight enemies, these jaws are extremely powerful. Once locked on to an opponent they never let go. Behind these mandibles are a smaller second pair of jaws called ''maxillae.'' Ants chew their food with these.. Ants belong to the insect order Hymenoptera - the same order as wasps and bees. They differ from their relatives by having a narrow ''waist'' called a ''pedicel'' and by having elbowed antennae.
ANTS IN KENTUCKY Kentucky has many different kinds of ants, but no one knows exactly how many. Charles Covell, professor of biology at the University of Louisville, says no thorough search of has ever been conducted in the state. However, some of the ants you're most likely to come across - or step on - are ''carpenter ants,'' ''mound building ants,'' ''pavement ants,'' and ''pharoah ants.'' ''Carpenter ants,'' Covell said, ''are the biggest ones we have. They are often found around the house.'' He says that they hollow out the wood in your house and nest in it, although they don't actually digest the wood. If you want to attract these critters, just leave out some candy. They 're attracted to sweets - just like most humans! If you live in Oldham County, you need to keep an eye out for mound- building ants. Covell says these ants are especially prevalent in that area, and they will give you a nasty sting if you disturb their colony. Pavement ants are the kind of ants you see building small mounds between the cracks in your sidewalk. They also nest under stones, and get into gardens. Pharaoh ants are tiny, yellowish-red ants found indoors. These are very hard to eradicate. BULLDOG ANTS Only the most timid person would be afraid of an ant, right? Not if you're talking about Australian bulldog ants. They are scary bugs. Why? For one thing, they are the biggest ants in the world. They can grow as large as four centimeters - more than 11/2 inches! What's more, they can be deadly. Thirty of their stings can kill you. And to make things even worse, they can jump a foot off the ground! If you're ever in Australia be careful: Just your shadow crossing their nest might provoke them into attacking you. One nice thing about bulldog ants is that they attack and destroy termite nests. FIRE ANTS Here's another scary insect: the fire ant. Fire ants can be trouble. They are called fire ants for two reasons. First, because of their ''fiery'' appearance: Their abdomens are usually black, while the rest of their bodies are a reddish brown color. Second, because of their burning sting: A fire ant's sting injects venom into its victim that can result in white blisters, and possibly a medical emergency. These tiny creatures also can do much harm to livestock. Not only do people fear fire ants because of their stings, but also because of the damage these ants can do to homes. Their nests are often found under houses, next to foundation walls, and even inside utility boxes. They have been known to damage electrical wiring and cause power outages and fires. Fortunately, the chances of finding fire ants in Kentucky or Indiana are slim, because they don't get this far north, Covell said. Two types of fire ants are found in the United States: The "red imported fire ant'' which is seen from Virginia through Texas and the ''southern fire ant'' which is seen from California to South Carolina. ANTS ARE ORGANIZED Ants also differ from other insects by being social creatures. Ants live in communities called ''colonies,'' which can be as small as a few dozen or as large as many thousand. All the ants in a single colony are related. The queen is their mother. Two or more generations may overlap in the colony. All the ants in a colony serve the colony loyally, but they don't all serve it in the same way. The queen is normally the largest ant in the colony. She has wings until she mates. Then she removes them. She may live for several years until her queen daughter replaces her. Male ants are winged and keep their wings until they die. A male ant's only apparent function is to mate with the queen. Once he has mated, he dies within two weeks. Worker ants are female ants that cannot have children. They are very hard workers. They build and repair the nest. They care for, feed and defend their colony. These worker ants may be big or small depending upon the type of work they do. Some worker ants forage, that is, they go looking for food for the colony. Once they find food, they then go back to their colony. As they go, they leave behind a chemical that helps the others to find the food at the end of the trail. As an ant colony grows, the worker ants will go farther to find food. A single ant colony may survive for several years through the efforts of each of its members, the queen, the males, and the workers.
NOT ALL BAD Ants serve a useful purpose in the world. Like bees, they help to fertilize our plants and flowers by carrying pollen from one blossom to another. They improve the soil by tunneling through it and breaking it up. They also clean the earth of the corpses of dead animals and insects. You could say that the ants are good environmentalists. Additional sources: The Knowledge Adventure Encyclopedia at www.adventure.com/encyclopedia/; Greensmiths, Inc. at www.greensmiths.com/ants.htm; Britannica Online |
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Making an ant farm The best way to learn about ants is by watching them. The best way to watch them is behind glass in an ant farm. Interested? You can build one for yourself! You can easily find ant farm kits at either a nearby toy, hobby, or pet shop. Ant farm kits normally range anywhere from $6.00 to $25.00 depending upon the size of ant farm you want to build. If you want an ant farm to last for a long time, maybe even a couple of years, you will need to get a queen for your farm. This way new ants will be born into your colony as the old ones die. One way you can get ants for your farm is by digging a hole near an ant's nest. Once you have done this, place a jar in the hole so the mouth of the jar is at earth level. Next, place an insect or two in the jar to attract the ants into it. Then leave the jar there overnight. The The next day you will probably have 20-50 ants that will have fallen into your jar. These will be enough to start your farm. An even easier way to acquire the ants you need is to mail in the certificate for free ants included in most ant farm kits. But where's the fun in that? Ants can make great pets. When was the last time your pet taught you a new trick? Well, if you have ants for pets, they just might! Ants are the world's tiniest engineers. Once you've put together your ant farm you will be able to watch them dig tunnels, construct rooms, and even build bridges. You will also see how the different ants all work together, each doing different things all for the good of the colony. Wouldn't be great if people all got along that well? |