A Little More about Ants

We, human, love and also hate ants. Why? Ants perform many ecological roles that are beneficial to humans, including the control of pest populations and aeration of the soil. For example, these ants in the photo are ‘eating’ pests on our guava tree. But on the other hand, ants can become trouble when they attack buildings, your homes, your foods, or cause other economic losses.

Like all insects, ants have six legs. Each leg has three joints. The legs of the ant are very sturdy so they can run very fast. If a man could run as fast for his size as an ant can, he could run as fast as a racehorse. Ants can pick up 20 times their own body weight. An ant brain has about 250 000 brain cells. A human brain has 10,000 million so a colony of 40,000 ants has collectively the same size brain as a human. Interesting fact, isn’t it?

The regular life expectancy of an ant is 45-60 days. Ants use their antennae not only for touch, but also for their sense of smell. The head of the ant has a pair of large, strong jaws. The jaws open and shut to one side like a pair of scissors. Adult ants cannot eat and ingest solid food. Instead, they swallow the juice which they squeeze from pieces of food. They throw away the dry part that is left over. The ant has two eyes, each eye is made of many smaller eyes.