Army Ants Attack
September 10th, 2009 Posted in Ants & Roaches
You’ve seen them in movies, they devour cattle in a few minutes. Even Indiana Jones ran across them in his latest movie.
That’s right, the dreaded army ants.
If they’re so scary, what do you need to know about them?
Habitat
Army ants are found around the world, with the largest found primarily in South and Central American jungles.
A colony’s population can easily reach millions, with each one having a single queen. Because of the size of the nest, army ants will not stay in one place for a more than a day. They migrate constantly in search of food, carrying everything with them, including their eggs.
Army ant nests are built in a unique way. The nest is made of walls of ants formed to protect the queen. The halls allow enough room for the ants to move and work, but little else.
Army ants will also use their bodies as bridges to help others get over a hole and to keep hunting. Once an ant of appropriate length is found, it can hold itself as a bridge for several hours before returning to the nest.
Hunting in Swarms
Army ants hunt in swarms—large groups of ants moving together to find food. Most other types of ants hunt alone or by using scouts.
Swarms are huge—comprised of sometimes hundreds of thousands of ants. One swarm can create a 15-yard front line.
The swarms search for insects primarily, but will kill animals such as lizards, birds, and occasionally pigs, if they don’t move out of the way in time. Army ants will make thousands of kills in a single day.
North American ants won’t attack humans, but some African species can. There have been reports of attacks on sleeping or inebriated people being attacked and killed.
Physical attributes
Army ants can be large—up to 12 mm (1/2 inch) in length.
Like all ants, their bodies are segmented into three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen.
Their dark-brown bodies are elongated compared to other ants. Also elongated are the the legs. The spider-like legs have small hooks on them to allow them to create bridges with their bodies.
Another difference from other ants is the mandible (facial parts). These are also longer and sickle-shaped.
Army ants are blind, using pheromones to communicate with one another and sheer numbers to overwhelm prey.
Army ants in the U.S.
On a six-square-mile island in Barro, Colorado, there is estimated to be 50 colonies of army ants.
The island, created by the Panama Canal, is one of the easiest places to find army ants. It’s also one of the most frequented research sites for the ants.
Army ants range all across the southern and central states, going as far north as Iowa and Illinois and from Georgia to California.
If you happen across some of these monster ants, try EcoSMART’s Ant Killer to get rid of them. This family-friendly spray will get rid of ants and keep them away. Made with all-natural ingredients, this spray is safe for kids and pets, but not for ants.
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6 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!
By Rhonda on Sep 12, 2009
Very interesting! I knew about army ants but I never realized we have them in the US. Most of the army ants I’ve seen have been on National Geographic TV, from somewhere in Africa or South America.
I have a strong interest in promoting more basic, natural lifestyles for our post – consumerist society. Problem is, living in closer harmony with the earth also means being closer to the critters!
It’s really good to know there is an organic pesticide available, as described on your “about” page. I have been very relunctant to use the kind of pesticides most stores promote. (ie., poison!)
With your permission I would like to do a brief article in my own blog, rhondaclifton.com, to bring your work to the attention of my readers.
Thanks again for the interesting article.
By Valerie on Oct 24, 2009
I have only seen these in movies and on T.V. I was not aware of the fact that we have them here in the United States. I have only previously heard of them in Africa. I do have a large population of other ants on my 2 acre property in Mn. I am always inteested in new ways to control them without harming my grandchildren or 3 dogs. Any organic pest comtrol is a much safer way to comtrol insects.
By STEPHANIE HALCOMB on Oct 25, 2009
I didn’t know much about red army ants until they invaded our pantry this past summer!Now that it’s cold I hope we don’t see them for a long time.But if we do get them again,I sure would like to try your products due to having children and pets in our home!All the other products on the shelves that we have come across aren’t safe for our home!
By NIJSHUA MACLIN on May 23, 2010
ARMY ANTS SEEM TO BE TAKING OVER! EVERY SUMMER THEY COME AROUND AND INVADE HOMES. I WAS USED TO SEEING THE SMALLER ONES AROUND BUT EVERYBODY I TALK TO SEEM TO BE FACING SOME SORT OF INVASION. FIRST YOU HAVE TO MAKE EVERY ATTEMPT POSSIBLE TO KEEP A CLEAN HOME BUT THAT WONT STOP THEM JUST SEEMS TO KEEP THERE NUMBERS DOWN BUT I NEED A SURE FIRE TREATMENT TO KEEP THEM AWAY. NOT SURE IF THIS PRODUCT IS GOING TO WORK BUT I AM HOPING THAT IT WILL.
By Esther on Oct 19, 2010
Do you have a contact number of a distibutor in South Africa please.
thank you
Esther