Ants of any kind that are attracted to sugary foods are called sugar ants.These also include pavement ants, odorous house ants, and even pharaoh ants. They are the most common ant species.Other species of ants include fire ants and carpenter ants. Ants have habited the earth for over 100 million years, even before the dinosaurs existed. Ants are social animals and live together in groups of hundreds, thousands, or even millions. A group of ants living together is called an ant colony. Like other ant colonies, sugar ant colonies are led by queen sugar ants while the male sugar ant workers search for and collect food for the whole colony. They have a clear hierarchy in their community, with the queen at the top. The ant community can also be considered a matriarchal community with a female as the head figure.The original sugar ant is called a banded sugar ant and is native to Australia. The banded sugar ant gets its name due to the striking band of orange and brown that goes all around the rear part of its body. This species of ant grows to be around 0.6 in (1.5 cm) long.Household sugar ants in Australia have black or brown bodies and also have some parts that are clear in color. An ant is one of the most hardworking creatures with a prominent unit behavior. Whenever ants are sighted, there is always a formation. They follow the hierarchical structure of their community and showcase great teamwork when it comes to transporting food.If you find this article interesting, you might also enjoy discovering more ant facts and do squirrels have rabies here on Kidadl!Do black sugar ants bite?Sugar ants are generally mild creatures that do not attack unless they are threatened. Even then, the bite of sugar ants isn’t really a bite but rather a sting or a pinch. Different ant species behave differently when they feel threatened.Fire ants are the ones whose stings are very painful. They do not hesitate to sting a threat. The reddish-brown color of its body identifies a fire ant and the tall mounds they create to live in. On the other hand, carpenter ants do not build mounds but rather occupy any wooden space they can find.They are the real culprits when the wooden furniture in a house with an ant infestation is damaged. They are one of the largest ants. The bites from carpenter ants sting because of the formic acid they spray into the wound. The acid is the same as that of the bee stings, and the pain can be severe too.The odorous house ant, included in the species of sugar ants, is the most common ant found in households. These ants build their colonies outdoors and enter indoor areas in search of food and water. The ant bites of these ants are not harmful to humans at all. The bite is only serious if you are allergic to it.Black-headed sugar ants or black sugar ants are also known as brown sugar ants. They are native to Australia, and they dwell in open spaces. They have dark brown bodies with a black-colored head, as their name suggests. The bites of black sugar ants don’t hurt if in case they do bite, which they don’t mostly. They might emit a bit of formic acid like carpenter ants, but this only causes a slight burning sensation.What happens if a sugar ant bites you?Sugar ants are mild-mannered creatures. Even though ants, including sugar ants, are omnivores, they don’t usually bite humans. The instances where a sugar ant may bite you are when the ant feels threatened by humans. Ants don’t immediately bite humansA sugar ant bite is not life-threatening to a human. The possibility of it even happening is very low. The only time that such insect bites are harmful is when a human is allergic to an ant bite. Otherwise, the bite site might become red or itchy, but it doesn’t really hurt a lot. The bite marks are also not very visible and will disappear in a day or day two on their own. If the bite marks become infected or an allergic reaction sets in, then they will swell and turn into welts or blisters, but that possibility is extremely remote.How do you get rid of sugar ants?Pest control in any household is important to keep it clean and hygienic. The very first step in pest control is to identify the ant species living in your house. There are different techniques and traps to be used for different species of ants. This is because not all ant species eat the same food or behave in the exact same way. Fire ants may act in one way while carpenter ants and odorous house ants might act differently.Sugar ants are considered to be pests and a nuisance, just like all other ant species. They have a sneaky nature and can get near a food source pretty quickly. Sugar ants enter a house looking for food and water to feed their colony, and they can sense a food source near them very well. Within a few minutes, they swarm the food. They are especially attracted to sugary foods (true to their name).Sugar ants can enter your house from any possible opening, be it little cracks and crevices, piping, wall voids, or the gaps between doors. A sugar ant is a nocturnal creature which means that the ant is most active during the nighttime. Sugar ants live in warm, humid places and near food sources. You will mostly find them coming into the kitchen around dusk and returning to their colony around dawn.When a sugar ant infestation takes place, you will find a sugar ant or many of them together in almost all the sweet foods stored in your house. Eliminating sugar ants is a difficult process as they are present in large numbers, and the location of their colony has to be found out.In order for your house to be fully rid of sugar ants, seek help from professional pest control. Pest control services will determine the species of ants and then use the appropriate method to get rid of them. However, this is not enough on its own. Preventive measures are equally significant. To prevent sugar ants from invading your house again, you must take precautions and keep all food products covered, along with keeping moisture out and the kitchen area dry.Do little house ants bite?A little house ant is usually the household sugar ant. While some ants species can even eat dead animals and other food, sugar ants only eat sweet foods.They are also considered to be gentle insects that don’t get aggressive easily. It is the bite of a fire ant and a carpenter ant that stings more.A little house ant bites human skin only when it feels threatened. Even then, this action isn’t the immediate one. As worker ants carry out their duty, they may climb onto a human body which isn’t a rare occurrence. If the ant is on exposed skin and it starts feeling a threat around it, then it first pauses its movements. The ant then raises its abdomen and shows its mandibles. This is to scare the threat away. If it feels the threat still persists, then the ant bites. It isn’t that painful and feels like a pinch more than a bite.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Do sugar ants bite? Amazing ant species facts revealed for kids! Then why not take a look at Bug vs insect? Are they the same? Difference between facts for kids! Or 15 Mind-blowing facts on Shamisen traditional music instrument!
Ants of any kind that are attracted to sugary foods are called sugar ants.
