Most people are fascinated by nature – as long as it stays outside. Birds are delightful (until they accidentally find themselves in a grocery store), and spiders are very helpful (but not really appreciated in your bedroom). Ants are no exception to this rule. Their industrious nature has inspired people to persevere for generations. Sefer Mishlei shares the ants’ message: “Go to the ant, lazy one; watch its ways and become wise.” This idea is especially relevant today, when young and old alike have made it their mission statement to avoid investing effort at all costs. Unfortunately, we most often encounter ants when they get into our kitchens, which somehow does not leave us feeling very inspired.
Putting aside our
unfavorable meeting place (inside), ants are beyond fascinating. For example,
if an ant accidentally drops a kernel of grain, the other ants won’t take it,
even though it would make their personal trip to find food much shorter;
stealing from each other is not an acceptable short cut. Furthermore, they can
carry 50 times their body weight, which is the equivalent of a person carrying
a car, and they selflessly work for the good of the whole group.
By clearing away
dirt to form a network of vast underground tunnels, ants aerate the soil, which
lets air and water penetrate more deeply. They also carry tons of organic
material into the ground, some of which decomposes before it can be eaten,
adding valuable nutrients to the soil.
ANTics
A colony of ants
can range from just a few dozen to millions, all working together to create a
society that runs smoothly. They have different jobs over the course of their
lifetime, earning promotions as they age. Young workers take care of the queen,
then move on to nest maintenance and security. Finding food is reserved for the
oldest, most responsible workers.
Providing
nourishment for the whole colony is a huge undertaking for such tiny creatures.
When they discover a desirable dinner option, ants leave a pheromone trail so
that other workers can follow them and find the food. As such, you will usually
see them traveling in a line, as they follow the chemical scent, their
equivalent to a GPS.
With their complex
society, organized social groups, and ability to work together, ants are
considered the smartest insects in the world. (I will leave it to you to decide
if there is any correlation between that information and the fact that their
colonies are run entirely by females!) In fact, all of the ants you see,
including the workers and soldiers, are sisters. Throughout the animal kingdom,
species that specialize in cooperation, like lions and elephants, are primarily
guided by their matriarchs. (While the male lion is indisputably the “king,” he
is more of a figurehead, sleeping up to 20 hours a day. His main responsibility
is patrolling his territory. It’s the females who organize the hunts and
successfully provide food for the pride.) Ants work together to move large
obstacles and even form chains to make bridges to help their sisters cross
gaps.
There are a few
male ants around just to ensure the next generation. And, oh yeah, they can
fly. Only the queens and males have wings, and they only fly once to mate
midair. After that, their wings are no longer needed and are subsequently
ripped off and eaten! The queen can then produce 300,000 eggs in just a few
days.
Ants go through
several stages of metamorphosis, changing from egg to larva to pupa to
adulthood in a few weeks or months, depending on the species. After that, they
live for a few busy, productive years, although the queen herself can reach her
30th birthday.
Most species of
ants are relatively harmless; they eat rotting fruits, dead animals, or human
leftovers. Some ants in South America have chosen a life of farming. Instead of
foraging for food like their cousins, they collect leaf samples, which they
bring back to their nests in order to cultivate their own underground crop of
fungus for sustenance. It is carefully maintained, and when a new queen leaves
to establish a colony of her own, she takes some of the home-grown fungus with
her (much like a sourdough starter). Another type of ant is a hunter. These predatory
ants use their sheer numbers to overwhelm small animals and kill them using
painful stings.
ANTibiotic
Ants have been
gifted considerable medical advances. Very careful with maintaining proper
hygiene, ants often groom themselves and each other to remove dirt and
bacteria, which helps prevent disease in the colony. They are also able to stop
bacteria and fungus from contaminating their homes by producing an antibiotic
fluid. Ants will bring their wounded sisters home for treatment, using
antimicrobial enzymes to reduce the risk of infection. By creating a healthy
environment in which to live, ants are free to truly thrive.
ANTisocial
Thousands of ants
work together successfully, side by side. They help each other, truly living
the adage: there’s strength in numbers. Each ant is miniscule, but together
they amount to 20% of the biomass on Earth! They even have a symbiotic
relationship with a group of plants called myrmecophytes or “ant plants.” Since
hungry insects and caterpillars cause mass destruction to plants every day, some
plants “hire” ants to act as bodyguards, to ensure that other insects stay
away. These plants are also guaranteed a greater range of seed dispersal, since
they will be buried by their security team in the forest floor. In return, the
plants produce a special food that nourishes the ants, as well as provides
hollow areas for their home.
ANTagonist
The problem arises
when these interesting insects decide to move in with us. Outside, they’re
fascinating – in my kitchen, not so much. The ants you typically see come in
two sizes: tiny and a little bigger. (The larger ones are likely carpenter ants,
and their presence should be addressed quickly because they can tunnel into the
wooden structure of your house to create their nests.) While these home-loving
ants are harmless to humans, others can sting. People’s reaction to ant venom
ranges from mild itching to a burning sensation to a severe allergic reaction,
which could include hives, dizziness, and vomiting.
ANTidote
So just how are
you supposed to get rid of the ants that have decided to use your return
address as their own? The first piece of advice, of course, is not to leave
food out that attracts them. This sounds great in theory, but it is not very
practical. We do not always have time to sweep as we run out the door for
carpool after the kids have breakfast. And the dishwasher can only hold a
certain number of dishes at one time with the rest waiting patiently on the
counter for their turn.
One option is to
try and mask the ants’ scent trails with strong odors from coffee, pepper,
vinegar, or citrus. These smells confuse the intruders and discourage them by
preventing them from finding the food they are looking for. Plan B might be to
get a store-bought gel or ant-bait traps. Once they bring the bait back from
their foraging trip, the poison it contains will kill the entire colony.
Alternatively, you
can call a pest control company, and they will take care of the problem for
you. They often return periodically to reapply pesticides to ensure you don’t
have a repeat performance.
ANTiquity
It is interesting
to note that the worker ants “discuss” and “make decisions” on what is best for
them all. Without higher-up rulers giving them direct orders or the threat of
punishment, each ant faithfully fulfills its role. They have almost no personal
needs yet toil tirelessly for the sake of their sisters.
The ants teach us
that working hard with a purpose of giving to others is an admirable and
attainable goal. Stepping up for the group is synonymous with the success of
the individual. When we invest our thoughts and energy into projects that
benefit our family or community, we ultimately increase our own personal
satisfaction with the knowledge that we contributed to something special. So,
the next time you see some ants (hopefully outside), try to internalize their
mANTra: “According to the effort is the reward.”
Debbie
Glazer lives in Pikesville with her family and teaches language arts in Bnos
Yisroel High School. She can often be found either writing or reading and loves
to share her passion for the written word with others.
