Woodwind Ants

Carpenter ant (Camponotus) is the largest species of ant family, numbering about 1000 species of representatives. Distributed throughout the world, prefer forest zones, taiga, there are representatives in the deserts. Most species build nests in the wood, often in search of a better life, they are selected for human habitation. The scientific name of the ant is camponotus herculeanus.

Insect dwelling

Tree ants build nests in dry trees, old stumps. If you take a good look, small holes are visible on the tree - entrances-exits, sawdust near the anthill. By their type and number, you can determine the age of the structure and the number of inhabitants. The location of the nest can serve as a guide for a lost traveler.

Work is always in full swing. Ants of dwellers of different size crawling around the dwelling. Soldiers with a big head, body up to 3 mm are slow, circumspect. They observe what is happening, assess the security situation. The smallest representatives are the working clan. Workers working on the construction of the house, daily increasing the number of underground tunnels, passages, cameras.

Woodwind Ants

Interesting!

At night ants are sleepingexcept soldier guards. In inclement weather, during the wintering period Movement in the anthill occurs in underground tunnels.

Breeding

Most of the ant family consists of females incapable of fertilization. They are divided into several clans, perform construction work, obtain food, ensure the safety of an anthill, care for wombfeed the larvae.

A small proportion - young males, females. Once a year during the warm season mating begins. Drevotochtsev grow wings flying ants rise into the air, mating there. After a successful process, the males die, the females are looking for a place for a new anthilllays eggs there.

Growing, feeding, raising the first cubs of the uterus is engaged in itself. Forms from them the workers of ants drevototstsev - builders. Insects start building a nest, the female lays the next batch of eggs.

Breeding process infinite, the colony of ants of woodcutters is replenished with new members of society every week. Gradually, the responsibility for caring for the larvae, feeding, servicing the uterus is shifted to the working ants - midwives, nannies, and nurses. The queen is only engaged in laying eggs.

Interesting!

For the very first time, one fertilization is enough for the female to reproduce the offspring for the rest of her life. The uterus is able to live to 28 years. Workers wood ants, who perform duties inside an anthill, live for 5 years, builders, hunters, food miners - no more than 3 years.

Blackwinders

Black wood borer ant is a large representative of the genus, found throughout the world in coniferous, mixed forest. The body is shiny black. The length of the soldiers, females about 15 mm. Anthill build in old wood, stumps. Representatives of the genus are listed in the Red Book, protected by law. Insects benefit, being forest cleaners, soil disintegrators.

Types of wood borers

Fragrant treewreders

The fragrant ant-borer is of small size, large number of colonies. The body is a black shiny color. Workers reach a length of 5 cm. Females are larger than males in half, their body length is 8 mm. The head is heart-shaped with a depression in the back of the head. Distributed this ant species in Europe, Siberia.

Nests are built in old trees, stumps. Use construction, chewing wood. Mixing with saliva, the substance becomes sticky.

The anthill contains several fertile females. The young uterus starts a family through social parasitism. Climbs into the nest of similar species of insects, destroys the uterus, takes its place. The working clan of other species provides for its care, nurses the larvae.Gradually, the family is inhabited by fragrant ants from carpenters, the enslaved individuals are dying out.

Interesting!

The fragrant ants called woodworms due to special glands, which emit a specific odor. With the help of the smell of insects communicate. Signals of danger, a click for help, an alert about finding food, and so on.

Krasnogrudy representative of the genus

Red-breasted ant borer is a common large-sized forest ant. The sternum is red, the head is black. Females and males are completely black. The length of the females reaches 2 cm. The Red-breasted ant is an inhabitant of the wild nature. The human dweller practically does not approach human housing.

Builds huge nests in depth and height. There are cases of social parasitism. If there are small ones nearby black ants, red breasts will destroy their family in a matter of days. Either a young female will take the place of their queen.

Danger

For nature, an ant-borer brings tremendous benefits, clearing forests from small parasites, fungi, loosening the soil, but it becomes a real disaster for a person, settling in his wooden house. And although he does not bring such damage as fire red ants, but still the damage from the borehole is significant.

Insects eat wood all the time. Numerous small holes appear in the logs, the tree gradually fades, the strength of the building is lost.

Ants family in a wooden house settles thoroughly. The insects themselves will not disappear. Having equipped the nest, they will constantly be engaged in increasing the area, ensuring easy safe transitions to the food source. It should seriously consider the question of how to get rid of unwanted "tenants".

Methods of struggle

Ant Chemicals

Carpenter ants get rid of folk remedies, professional preparations.

• Thoroughly destroy insects can be concentrated emulsion. The drug is diluted in water, spraying the walls, furniture, floor. Insecticide of a wide range causes paralysis, death. Mass death is observed after 2 weeks.
• Poisonous bait save from disaster if you can not find a nest, or it is difficult to reach the uterus. The composition contains insecticide, flavors, food additives. Insects eat poison themselves, drag in the nest. Feed the rest of the relatives, larvae, the uterus.Death occurs a few days after being poisoned in the stomach. The woodwind ants, not suspecting anything, continue to carry poison into the nest.
• Poison ant can be poisoned boric acidby combining it with foodstuffs - sugar, honey, cookies with milk, jam, boiled yolk. Lay out the bait in the places of movement of insects.
• It is possible to expel from the premises, prevent re-infection with garlic, tansy, mint, wormwood, and ammonia, vinegar, birch tar.

The woodworm ant is protected, the destruction of insects outside the house is illegal.