What Do Ants Eat

There are around 12,000 different species of ants, some people say that there are 14,000 different species of this insect. Ants are present all around the world, except for Antarctica, simply because it is too cold there! So, what food attracts these ants to our kitchens, and picnic baskets? And how can you prevent the infestation of ants in the house, and stop them from attacking your picnic baskets? Given below are the foods that ants eat, and tips to avoid invasion by ants in the kitchen.

What Do Ants Eat?

So questions about the eating habits of ants are swirling in your head and are queries like, what do red ants eat, what do black ants eat, do leaf-cutter ant cut leaves and then eat these leaves, increasing your curiosity? Different species of ants eat different kinds of foods. However, the most favorite food item that most ants eat and like is anything 'sweet'. Here are the food sources which provide ants with their nourishment.

Sweet Foodstuffs: Most types of ants are attracted to anything that is sweet, so even if there is a drop of honey or little jam on the floor, ants will get attracted towards it. Ants are such sweet addicts that they experience an almost magnetic pull towards jam in the sandwich, honey, sugar, lemonade, etc. When the ants don't get any sweets, which we leave around, they will go out looking for a sweet substance, called honeydew which other insects leave behind. Honeydew is secreted by aphids (plant sucking insects) as these bugs ingest the juice of plants. There are species of ants which even 'farm' these aphids, they will carry these aphids back to their colonies, and look after them to obtain the honeydew.

Fungus: The species of ants called leaf-cutter ants, are found in the tropical and semi-tropical regions, and can also be found in the South and Central regions of America. As the name suggests, the leaf-cutter ants cut leaves. But, no the leaf cutter ants don't eat these leaves, they carry them back to their underground nests, chew the leaves to pulp, and store it with the ant feces. Fungus grows on the decaying plant matter, and this is what they eat. Quiet gross, don't you think?

Other Foods: Some species of ants will eat the dead bodies of insects, which are much larger than the ants, especially bugs like caterpillars and grasshoppers. Harvester ants are known to collect seeds, store them and then eat them. Argentine ants which are natives of Argentina, Brazil and are found sometimes in the US will eat eggs, oil, meat, and almost anything which humans leave around. Ants are the number one enemies of termites, and in fact a species of the family, carpenter ants eat termites.

Ant Infestation Prevention Tips

Are you looking for solutions to figure out how to get rid of ants, from attacking your food, or creating mess in the kitchen? Try these ideas.

• One of the natural remedies I have seen my mother use against ants, are cloves. Yes, they work very well. Just put some whole cloves in sugar jars, under counters, along baseboards, and you will have less sugar seeking ants in your house.
• Another spicy natural remedy is to keep bay leaves in your home, to control the attack of the ants. You can keep them on counter-tops, or any place where the food which attracts ants is present. You can also carry these two spices in your picnic baskets, to keep the sugar ants away.
• For pest control and to minimize the number of ants, keep your kitchen sink clean and dry, and wipe the counter-tops with bleach every night.
• Vacuuming the floor spaces regularly, especially those places where the food gets stuck, will also minimize the ant numbers.
• Dispose off the garbage bags regularly, to prevent ants.

It is not advisable to use powerful chemical pesticides in the kitchen to get rid of the ants, as there is a possibility that the pesticides might contaminate the food.

Now you know what ants eat, and how to avoid the attack by ants on your food, using some natural methods. So use the above prevention tips, to minimize ant attacks, and maintain an ant-free house!