Q What use are ants?
AAnts are fascinating social creatures who work tirelessly for the good of the colony rather than themselves. They’re worth observing and can bring some benefits to the garden – notably localised soil improvement – and are food for birds and other insects, so unless a nest is causing a problem it doesn’t need to be destroyed.
The most common ant in the UK is the black ant, which is completely harmless to humans. They don’t sting or spray formic acid when on the defensive, and their bite is too weak to penetrate human skin. Other species include the yellow meadow ant, which builds earth anthills above its underground nests, and the narrow headed ant, now so rare it’s a protected species. The red ant, whose nests are often found under large stones and paving slabs, can give a painful sting.
In the garden, ants are useful soil engineers, creating tunnels that allow air to be incorporated into the soil, and adding fertility. They prefer sandy soils and sunny spots to build a nest, with a queen ant underground laying eggs and worker ants going out to find food. Workers have two stomachs – one for their own digestion, while the other is a ‘social stomach’ in which they carry back food for the nest. A nest typically contains 4,000-7,000 ants but can total 15,000 individuals.
Ants love sugary foods and when they’ve found a good source they lay a trail for their fellows, using chemicals that rub off their bellies as they walk. The sugary excretions of aphids (honeydew), is a favourite food and ants are known to ‘farm’ aphids, protecting them while they harvest their honeydew.
Once a colony is fully grown (after 2-3 years or so) the queen will begin to lay eggs of winged male drones and queens rather than workers. On a humid day sometime during summer these drones and new queens take flight from the nest, mating in midair. Somehow the ants manage to coordinate their diaries as other nests fly on the same day, mating with each other. New queens then fly off in search of a new nest site, losing their wings and, their only job done, the drones die a day or so afterwards.