If you know what an insect eats, you can use that information for two purposes: prevention and control. Ants have a varied diet, with different species preferring different foods over others. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the ant diet.

Preferred foods

Ants have three main staples in their diet – protein, sugars and fats. The way that workers gather these foods is quite interesting. In order to carry as much food as possible, the workers have two stomachs – one that will store food which will be vomited out in the colony, and one that will actually digest the food. When one ant finds a food source, it gathers as much as it can, and returns to the colony, leaving a pheromone trail behind it. Other ants will detect these pheromones and follow them to the food source. This is why you see ant trails traveling around various surfaces. Outside of the three main staples, certain ant species may also eat plants, seeds, grains and even other ants.

Other things that attract ants to the home

When looking to set up a nest indoors, ants will be attracted to other factors besides food. These factors include the presence of water sources, and adequate nesting locations. Really, the best way to make sure that ants avoid your home is to work with a pro, who will lay down residual insecticides in various areas of the home that are commonly used by ants. These insecticides are long-lasting, and they will act as a barrier against most insect species including spiders.

How ant infestations are removed

If an ant infestation has already begun on your property, the removal process will depend on the species responsible. Some ants will build their nests out in the open, somewhere in the backyard, while others may build them under concrete, inside wall voids, or inside the wood of the home. For species with nests out in the open, a professional can apply the insecticides directly on top of the nest. The insecticides will seep into the earth, killing off most of the workers and the queen. For the nests that are hidden, bait will be used, which will take a bit longer to destroy the colony, but which will eventually kill the queen and the colony along with it.

For more information on ants, their diets and how they are controlled, contact us today.