In nature, there are many species of ants. So, small red individuals live in apartments and private houses, where they can often be found on the kitchen table or near the products. Black ants usually live on trees and shrubs, and are distinguished from others by the fact that they produce aphids in large quantities, feeding on its secretions. But several times a year on the street there are huge hordes of flying ants. And they are best paid close attention.
All about ants with wings
It should be noted that in nature there is no such separate type of insects as ants with wings. However, every living species periodically appears individuals with wings - females and males, who can fly.
It happens in spring or summer, during the beginning of the mating season in ants. Until mating, these insects live in their native anthills, on a par with ordinary workers who do not have wings from birth. After fertilization, the females bite off their wings.
What kind of species the encountered winged ant belongs to can be determined by its color. Most often in nature you can meet red, black or red insects. In addition, a good guideline is the size - black ants are the largest of all, and domestic red are the smallest. Some people confuse flying ants with termites. However, this is not true - the latter do not have a thoracic part, but here the body is clearly divided into three parts - the head, chest and abdomen.
During mating males transmit to the females special male sex cells, which she then uses her whole life. After this, the female individuals fly away from their native anthill and never return there - they are looking for a place for themselves to found their own nest.
In a specially created camera, the female breeds its first offspring - these are usually worker ants, and bites off his wings as superfluous.
As such, flying ants do not carry a threat. However, it should be remembered that the female after fertilization loses its wings and becomes the queen, the queen of its new anthill. They all their lives, which can last depending from species up to 28 years, almost infinitely produce offspring, from which there are both working and new females and males. The latter are necessary in the ant community only for reproduction, and after performing their functions, either they themselves die or the workers kill them as useless for the continued existence of the anthill.
But in the fight against flying ants must be rememberedthat, like any other insects of this type, they will defend themselves when they try to attack them. You can get quite painful bites, causing severe itching and even an allergic reaction.
Therefore, the fight against such ants is best done either before mating (usually, this process does not occur in the apartment - they need to find access to the open air), or after mating, in order to prevent the foundation of a new anthill. For this purpose, ordinary means are used to combat ants, ranging from sprays and poisonous baits, to specialists in insect extermination.
Winged ants - this is not a separate species of insects, but specific winged individuals, females and males, which appear in spring and summer for the purpose of reproduction. After mating, males die, and females, using their wings, fly away to find a place for a new anthill. Not all individuals achieve their goal, but successful ones breed their first offspring and bite off their wings. Winged individuals themselves are not dangerous, however, it can later cause a huge number of new ants. You can fight them in standard ways, with the help of chemicals or by calling a specialized service.
A photo
Next you will see a photo of winged ants:
Useful materials
Then you can get acquainted with articles that may be useful and interesting to you:
- Ant extermination:
- How to get rid of red ants in the apartment?
- Boric acid and borax from ants
- Folk remedies for ants in the apartment and house
- Rating of effective means of ants in the apartment
- Ant traps
- Ants in the garden:
- Species of ants
- How do ants hibernate?
- Who are the ants?
- What do ants eat?
- The value of ants in nature
- Hierarchy of ants: the king of the ant and the structural features of the working ant
- How do ants breed?
- Forest and garden ants, as well as the ant reaper
- How to get rid of ants in the garden?
