Ant queen
Content
Quite often, owners of houses and apartments complain that small ants have appeared in their apartments. First, a small number of insects come into view, but over time they become more and more. This indicates that a colony of domestic pests lives in the room, and attempts to find, catch and destroy them do not bring any result. The main reason for the rapid increase in the population is the prolific ant queen or queen, which is not easy to get.
Biology Excursion
Ants - a type of insect, widespread and well adapted to an appropriate habitat. They are found at almost every step. Most of their varieties can be found on the street where they feel comfortable. in the gardens, in flowerbeds, in groves, forests and other places. They easily penetrate into the dwelling of a person in search of food. Ants are social insects. Each individual living in anthillIt has its own well-defined function, which it strictly fulfills. In accordance with this hierarchical structure from the colony there are such representatives:
- working ants who are collecting food, building material, searching for new sources of food;
- attendants caring for eggs and larvae;
- A womb of red ants is the main individual in an anthill, as the number of the colony depends on it, as well as its ability to survive.
On a note!
Young females that have not passed through fertilization and have not formed their colonies have wings.
To understand how the uterus appears, you need to familiarize yourself with life features of these representatives of the fauna.As soon as the pupae multiply in the anthill, the males and females begin mating period. As a result of this action, the uterus is stocked with male sperm. She spends it throughout her life gradually.
The fertilized female ant does not return to its native colony. She finds herself a suitable place, where she lays the first eggs, from which the working individuals hatch. The future queen sheds or nibbles unwanted wings for additional nutrients. After that, the ants living in the colony devote their whole lives to the well-being of the queen. She is not involved in the search for food, the protection of the anthill, garbage collection. The main job of the uterus - laying eggs in order to replenish the new members of his family.
Females red ants do not always leave their native anthill. They continue to live with the rest of the uterus, as a result, there can be up to 200 of them in one colony. A color photo of the queen ant can serve as a visual aid to familiarize yourself with the insect.
Over time, the settlement may grow to such an extent that small groups of insects, led by new queens, will begin to separate from it. But these "branches" continue to maintain contact with the mother anthill.It is very difficult to destroy such a large family, since it is necessary to find all the colonies and kill the producer in each of them.
Description of the uterus and features of its existence
Externally, the Queen looks different than other members of the colony. The length of her body reaches 4 - 4.5 mm, which is 2 times larger than that of her relatives. Its color palette is sustained in dark brown tones. Thin red bandages are clearly visible on the abdomen in its back. On the photo of the uterus of domestic ants or as they are called Pharaoh'splaced on the site, you can consider the features of the color and structure of the body of the insect.
The queen has a large belly of a rounded shape of a darker color, about 3-4 mm long. Its main purpose is laying eggs. Because of its large size, the uterus is clumsy, less mobile, unlike other ants. It differs in well developed thoracic region, its size significantly exceeds the dimensions of this part of the body of workers.
Many want to get an answer to the question of how much the ant's womb lives. In the colony of household pests of this species, the Queen has a privileged position.But when there are many queens in the anthill - individuals of the working type begin to treat them more scornfully. If the female begins to lay few or too many eggs, then it can be destroyed and replaced with a new one.
The uterus lives for about 15 years, which is 100 times longer than the duration of the existence of other members of the genus. During this time, she is able to lay up to 500 thousand eggs. The life of ants workers is approximately 2 months. Male inseminators live 7-10 days, after performing their function are destroyed by relatives.
It is quite difficult to answer unequivocally the question of ants can live without a uterus or not. If the queen dies, her place is immediately taken by another female capable of breeding, although in nature there are ant families that can live without the founder of the genus.
The composition of ants in the colony is regulated by the uterus itself. To this end, it pollinates laid eggs with special pheromones that block the sexual development of insects. As a result, working ants emerge from them. When a settlement becomes large and the formic uterus is unable to process the clutch with a special substance, the nest is filled with individuals capable of reproduction and the formation of new colonies.
Interesting!
All working ants in a family of domestic pests are females who cannot breed.
Insect detection problems
In order to permanently save your home from unwanted dangerous "guests" who are carriers of various infections, you must find the queen of the colony. Therefore, the question immediately arises - how to find the womb of ants. The difficulty lies in the fact that synanthropic insects carefully preserve it, supply it with food and take care of it. Therefore, the uterus almost never leaves its lair, which is located in remote and dark places. These may be:
- cavities in the ceiling, under the tile;
- ventilation shafts;
- channels for electrical wiring, sockets;
- nooks in kitchens and bathrooms.
Indicate the location of the nest can scurrying around the apartment in search of food workers ants. If you follow their movement, then sooner or later they will lead to their lair, into which the found prey is being demolished. The holes in the walls through which the ants penetrate into the apartment must be sealed with silicone sealant or foam.Such sealing will cut off their path to the dwelling. However, in order to get rid of pests, it is necessary to get directly to the nest and knowing what the uterus of ants looks like to destroy these individuals, no matter how many they are there.
Important!
If you find a settlement of red synanthropists indoors and get rid of all the queens in it, the colony will leave the dangerous territory.
If it is not possible to reach the anthill, then the uterus may be poisoned by food to which poison has been added, or by special insecticidal agents. Choosing drugs to destroy, it is necessary to pay attention to the compositions with a prolonged action, so that the working ants could deliver the “gift” to their queen.
The modern chemical industry has a large arsenal of tools with which you can get rid of parasites led by the uterus. Aerosols Dichlorvos, Raptor, Raid, Cobra and other insecticides are used to process possible habitats and the movement of ants. Gel formulations, such as Trap, Raptor, Raid, Brownie, Triple Strike. A great warrior contain a special bait that attracts parasites, they absorb it and die. Various powders and granules have the same effect. Using all these chemicals, you need to remember about security measures.
After studying the behavior, as well as carefully examining how the womb of ants looks in the photo, you need to immediately take measures for the expulsion of parasites from the apartment.