How do they look?

Ants are small, usually ranging from 2 to 10 mm in length, with six legs. Ant drones and queens develop wings before the mating period (after mating, drones die, while queens shed their wings and search for a place to establish a colony).

Where do they live?

Ants live in large, well-organized colonies. A single ant colony can consist of up to several tens of thousands of worker ants. Colonies can be found in wood, soil, above-ground mounds, and in tropical regions - even in tree canopies. In the classical case, a colony consists of one queen (although multiple queens can exist) and worker ants. Worker ants are responsible for caring for the brood, supplying food, and defending the nest.

What do they eat?

Ants feed on insects and their larvae, other small invertebrates, as well as honeydew secreted by aphids. They also consume plant-based food such as seeds, nectar, fruit pulp, and more.

Interesting and important facts

Different ant species have various habits when it comes to establishing new colonies. Some ants create entirely new nests, while others may infiltrate existing colonies, eliminate the resident queen, and take over. There are also instances where worker ants resist foreign invaders and may raise their own brood or adopt the offspring of conquered colonies.

Overall, ants are considered beneficial insects, particularly forest ants found in our region. Unwanted ant species may invade human dwellings, damage stored food, tend aphids (as aphid secretions serve as ant food), or harm garden crops.

Information sources: https://www.latvijasdaba.lv, Wikipedia, Kreslina L. ‘Insects in Latvia’

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