Are you in your house? This is how they go anywhere – even tall buildings

Ants are one of nature’s biggest success stories, with an estimated 22,000 species worldwide.

Tropical Australia in particular is a global hotspot for ant diversity. Some researchers believe it can hold some of the richest ant biodiversity on the planet, with an estimated 5,000 species in the tropical region alone.

But when ants are so successful in nature, why do they often appear in our homes and even in our upper-level apartments?

And what can we do to keep them out?

There are probably ants near you

Ants rule the earth in terms of richness.

Anytime, an estimated 20 quarters of ants are alive. This is followed by a zero of 15.

In fact, there are around 2.5 million ants for every human being.

So, “Why do I have ants in my house?” This is simply this: there are a lot of ants.

We live on a planet where ants surpass us by a margin that is almost unimaginable. The fact that we sometimes bump into our homes shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Ali works from home (i.e., i.e.)

Ali ows much of their success to their very social nature.

Within the colony, some individuals (female queens and male drones) are responsible for reproduction, while others (workers) are busy caring for, cleaning, or foraging food, amongst young people. Worker Ali is always a woman.

The Ant colony does not have a leader. They are excellent examples of collective behavior and herd intelligence that allow individuals to follow relatively simple rules to achieve far more than individuals alone.

Just as individual neurons in the brain cannot compose music, play soccer, or read articles, the whole brain can achieve all these feats and more.

Collaborating Ant colonies are capable of incredibly sophisticated actions such as:

Ants even outperform humans in some cooperative cognitive tasks.

The very social nature of Ali is a big part of their success and the main reason why they are so good at finding their own path in our home.

Each colony contains thousands of brave workers, many of whom are constantly searching for new food sources. If even one ants discover valuable resources in your home, they can quickly share that information with their nest companions.

Different ant species use a variety of communication methods, but the ones that invade our homes most often tend to use the “pheromone trail.”

When the ant finds a food source, she returns to her nest, leaving a small drop of pheromones for her to go. This trail directs other ants from the nest to a food source.

This highly efficient communication system means that a single ants can quickly recruit thousands of nest companions for any food they find.

Ants can also go inside in search of water, especially when the weather is hot.

Some species prefer to nest in humid environments. This may explain why it is common in bathrooms.

I once discovered an entire colony of sugar ants nesting inside an aquarium filter! The combination of high humidity and enclosed structures makes it an ideal place to build a nest.

Behind the scenes, heavy rain kills the nests and encourages the colony to look for dry ground.

I live in a floor apartment. How did the ants enter?

Many ant species are exceptional climbers thanks to their small adhesive pads with legs and thin hair.

These special structures allow ants to stick to walls on surfaces that appear smooth to the human eye, allowing them to find scaffolding.

Surprisingly, ants living in some canopy evolve behavior known as “controlled descent” and protect them when they fall. By adjusting the abdomen, the ants can maneuver the track and return it to the trunk of the tree to safety.

How can I keep ants out of the house?

Well, good luck. Whatever you do, the ants will probably enter your home someday.

Finding some ants in your home does not mean that your home is dirty. We simply live on a planet that is absolutely overflowing with ants.

To minimize unnecessary ants visits, we start by eliminating potential food sources that could feed hungry ants.

Store all food in a sealed airtight container, clean it behind the fridge and inside/under the toaster, make sure that you don’t leave your pet food more than necessary, and make sure the bottle is tightly sealed.

Ants have small stomachs, so even small crumbs and residues from spilled sugary drinks are enough to seduce them.

If it appears that ants are chasing each other side by side, try using vinegar or bleach to confuse the chemical trail. However, be careful: Ants are very good at repairing broken trail networks.

Seal small cracks and entrances where ants enter your home and make sure the windows and doors have a perfect fly screen.

Pesticide feed can kill ant colonies, but before unfolding nuclear options, ask yourself: What are ants really doing?

The most common domestic invasion ants do not stab and are rather harmless. Usually, you can redirect just by removing the food source.

Ants are natural cleanup crews, depriving them of fatigue and helping them maintain a healthy, balanced ecosystem.

They also play an important role as predators and seed dispersers.

Before reaching for pesticides, consider whether some ants in your home are really an issue.

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