Ants are rather annoying pests since they always seem to find a way to get to human food.People have come up with lots of solutions to ant-related issues over the years; however, only some of them seem feasible and humane.If there is an anthill in your backyard, there is a chance that they have a queen ant who has been laying lots and lots of eggs. As much as it is interesting to understand the intricate networks that these tiny insects create in their home, there’s hardly any chance that you will want ants to trail around your house. Keep reading for some interesting facts about anthills!If you enjoy reading this article, why not also check out why do ants bite and why do ants carry dead ants here at Kidadl?How do anthills work?An ant colony can be quite fascinating since it has an intricate network of tunnels and channels that help in the regulation of temperature and moisture. The surface of anthills, as we see them, is usually lined with objects such as pine needles. The common ants that you see in your yard, on the other hand, may simply make their nests out of grass, soil, and other vegetation. Pebbles, stones, and dirt are also used in nests since they function as doors.The entire outer surface of an anthill is covered in small entry points. It is through these doors that each ant’s daily adventures are carried out. These entry points are also sealed with pebbles and stones when ants need to protect their colonies.Towards the inside of an anthill, there are many tunnels that ultimately join at different levels of the nest. Each level, and the rooms therein, are created in such a way that eggs and queens can be moved to areas of maximum safety and comfort whenever such a need presents itself. These rooms and their construction work as a maze which also provides a higher level of protection to these pests.There are two parts of an ant’s nest. There is one part that is visible to us and one that is not. The latter can be called the underground portion of the mounds, which are the innermost sections of the structure and house the queen ant and her eggs during the winter season.Are anthills dangerous?An ant colony often becomes too big and threatens to consume entire chunks of land. If it so happens that you find an ant nest hidden in some part of your backyard, then the chances are that the infestation may eventually spread and find its way into your house as well. An anthill will not only look ugly but also hinder you from enjoying a nice picnic on the ground.While an ant infestation is somewhat dangerous and scary, there are more concerning factors. Some ant species, such as the fire ant, are quite aggressive and have painful bites. It, therefore, becomes essential that such a pest is identified and its nest site is destroyed before the infestation turns into a nuisance.Apart from posing a threat to your peace through trailing up to any food that you may have on the counter and creating utter nuisance in the form of bites and itchy encounters, anthills aren’t too dangerous. At the same time, it should also be kept in mind that some ant species can cause damage to furniture and household objects. If you have a pet and it gets bitten by a few fire ants while trying to relieve itself in the yard, there is a chance that the poor animal will develop a swelling or infection. Thus, the dangers are manifold and of varying intensities!What is inside of an anthill?Inside each mound lies an intricate pattern of tunneling and other architectural marvels which are sure to leave you spell-bound. Ants are animals that only live in colonies; hence, it is essential that they are able to utilize the resources near them in order to create a mound and live in it.Ant mounds, or anthills, are built half above the surface of the ground and half under it. This helps in the regulation of the placement of important members of the colony when a difficult time comes.The doors of an anthill are secured with pebbles and stones, which serve as a temporary and partially effective solution for hunting animals and related issues. Though the doors that they have may not be as modern and sophisticated as modern-day architecture, it can hardly be denied that they are quite impressive for the amount of skill that these tiny pests show!Once ants enter their colony or mound, they enter an intricate mesh of tunnels, which lead to different levels of the anthill and then to different compartments of it. Such construction of rooms in a nest helps in giving the queen ant the opportunity to live wherever she feels most comfortable.The construction and planning of these mounds also enable ants to control the temperature inside their residence. Since there is also an underground part of anthills, the colony can also regulate the moisture levels when required. It also buys ants some extra protection from predators and human beings.Which ant species build anthills?All ants build colonies or anthills. An anthill or mound, however, can look different depending upon the species of ants and their population growth.Ants, such as Formica ants and wood ants, usually make larger anthills, with a much bigger network inside the structure. In some cases, such as that of Formica ants, the worker ants may even make more than just one mound. This is done so that a larger area is covered to house more and more baby ants. This also means that they can control the area where the more important members of the colony reside.How big can anthills get?Some worker ants make rather large nests or mounds. An anthill can become as humongous as 65 ft (20 m) in circumference. This is observed in the case of wood ants, who create a rather extensive living space for their colony and create lots of tunnels to create a well-meshed sieve of patterns.In some other cases, an ant mound or anthill can be small and reach the circumference of only a couple of inches. At the same time, there can also be a colony that consists of several individual, small ant nests within the same area. The structure and size of the ant mound are largely variable on the basis of the kind of dirt and vegetation available and the tendencies of the specific ant species!How do you get rid of an anthill?If you seek a permanent solution to an ant problem in your yard, there are a couple of ways in which this pest can be removed from the premises. Some of these methods include the use of pesticides such as boric acid. This is one of the most useful ingredients when it comes to eradicating issues related to rather dangerous and problematic ant species, such as fire ants and wood ants. The use of boric acid is sure to kill the members of the entire nest if a hefty amount is used.You can also pour some boiling water over an anthill to kill the entire nest. The ants are usually drowned in a much more effective way if the boiling water has some amounts of dish soap or detergent in it.You may also excavate the entire nest from the yard; however, this is not considered to be a proper treatment for the issue.What happens when you step on an anthill?Stepping on an anthill when you simply assume it to be dirt can be quite unpleasant. This is because when ants build their nests, they also try to save them. Stepping on an ant’s nest is enough motivation for the pest to bite you and give you some pain!Best Humane Way To Get Rid Of anthillsOne of the major roadblocks that people hit when treating a pest issue is that some methods do not feel humane. While the rest of the methods can be too harsh, you may try digging the nest out. Although, that is sure to bring another ant nest to the yard in no time. Setting up bait stations can also help in some cases. A bait station saves you the trouble of witnessing the death of an entire ant colony!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘Anthill’, then why not take a look at ‘Ant egg’ or ‘Carpenter ant facts’?
Ants are rather annoying pests since they always seem to find a way to get to human food.
