Ants are small, hard-working insects that can be found in a variety of environments all over the world. These social insects live in colonies that can range in size from a few dozen to several million individuals. Ants are known for their ability to work together to find food, build elaborate nests, and defend their colonies from threats.
The ant diet in the wild
When it comes to their diet, ants are omnivores, which means they eat a wide variety of plant and animal matter. In the wild, ants will forage for a variety of foods, including seeds, fruit, nectar, honeydew, and even other insects. Some species of ants are known to feed on the honeydew produced by aphids, while others will hunt and kill other insects for food.
One of the most fascinating aspects of ant diets is their ability to “farm” other organisms for food. For example, some species of ants raise and tend to aphids, milking them for their honeydew. In return, the ants protect the aphids from predators and help them to find food. This relationship is known as mutualism, where both species benefit from the relationship.
In addition to foraging for food, many species of ants also gather and store seeds, grains, and other plant matter to use as a food source during times when foraging is difficult. This behavior is known as hoarding, and it allows ants to survive in times of scarcity.
The ant diet indoors
Indoors, ants will eat everything from scraps of meat to soda spills and crumbs of bread, and because they are omnivores they are not really short on options when they infest the home. On the bright side, this also means that a lot of food items can be used in ant traps and baits when attempting to control an infestation.
Overall, the diet of ants is varied and complex, and their ability to work together and adapt to their environment makes them one of the most successful groups of insects on the planet. It’s also one of the reasons why they can be so hard to control, and why you will likely need the help of a pro to remove an infestation.
For more information on what ants eat and how they behave during an infestation, or if you have an ant infestation in your home, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today.