Life Cycle of Ants

Ants are fascinating insects. They work together in colonies and can build extensive tunneling systems. Ants form a unique society structure working together. Many people are fascinated by the building that they do and may have an ant farm to watch it happen. Here are the four stages of an ant’s life

Eggs

Ants begin as eggs. The queen will lay all the eggs for the colony. There are workers that watch over the eggs and protect them. The eggs are very small and a queen can lay up to 300,000 eggs in just a few days.

Larvae

Once the eggs hatch, the ant larvae emerge. These are small soft insects. They are about the size of a period when they are first born. They will molt and grow several times as larvae. They will eat food that he adult ants chew up for them and give them.

Pupae

Once the ants have matured, they will spin themselves into a cocoon and develop into adult ants. At this stage, they are called pupae. Not all species will spin the cocoon. During this time, the ants will darken from white into black or brown. They will develop legs and antennae during this stage, but they are folded against the body.

Adults

Adult ants will continue to darken as they get older. The ants will be divided into workers, male ants or queens. The worker ants will take on specific jobs in the colony including foraging, building and caring for the younger ants. Most worker ants will live between one to three years. The male ants will mate with the queen for a few weeks, and then they will die. The queen will lay all the eggs for the colony. Usually a queen is larger than the other ants and will live much longer—up to fifteen years.

While ants are fascinating creatures, they can lose their appeal when they are invading your home and kitchen. If you notice an ant in your home, more are likely to follow as they seek out food and water to sustain the colony. To solve your ant problem, you must kill the entire colony. The experts at EcoTek Termite and Pest Control can help eliminate the colony and stop the ants from coming back.

Contact EcoTek for a free inspection and estimate, or learn more about ant extermination: https://manassas.ecotektermiteandpest.com/pest-control-services/ants/