Categories
Flora & Fauna

An In Depth Look At Ants With Wings

Ants With Wings – It is thought by the majority of the human population that the queens of the colonies are the only ants with wings.

A closer look into the mating habits of ants will give you a better idea of the actuality of flying ants.

An In Depth Look At Ants With Wings
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Each colony starts with a fertilized queen, which is basically a miracle in and of itself.

The fertilized female ants with wings will find a nesting place and begin laying eggs.

An In Depth Look At Ants With Wings
thespruce.com

During this time, she will shed her wings and use the stored nutrition from the wing muscle area to sustain her through the rearing process of the brood.

An estimated one out of one thousand fertilized female ants survive this process to establish a new colony.

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An In Depth Look At Ants With Wings
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Should a lucky queen make it through until her first, small brood has matured, her worker ants will begin to take care of her, broadening the nest and gathering food, tending to the new larvae and fending off danger.

The queen will decide how many of her troops will be workers, and the rest of her clan will consist of fertile male and female ants with wings.

The ants have no duties aside from breeding. The male winged ants will far outnumber the females, as the males will die shortly after mating.

An In Depth Look At Ants With Wings
antark.net

When the breeding season sets upon the colony, the winged ants are dispelled, never to return.

The males, as mentioned, will die shortly after mating, and the females are to carry on the cycle once again, finding a nesting site and attempting the near impossible feat of developing a new colony.

In the instance that a queen dies shortly after her new brood has matured, the cycle ends, and the young, small clan will perish.

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An In Depth Look At Ants With Wings
independent.co.uk

The massive movement of ants with wings is an astounding sight to behold, as rarely do they cause a disturbance to their surroundings.

Aside from the occasional instance of the flying ants coming indoors through chimneys or settling on moving farm equipment, the ants are of one mind.

There is no feeding, no fighting, no aggression. The mission is a peaceful one, and the intended outcome a miracle in waiting.

If you are experiencing instances where ants with wings are coming through your walls and cracks, you may have a carpenter or pharaoh ant issue which needs to be addressed.

As mentioned, it is not unheard of for parts of a flying ant migration to make their way into buildings and onto shiny, large objects, but this is rare and is not intentional on the part of the ants.

An In Depth Look At Ants With Wings
dailyedge.ie

If the ants are immerging from within the foundations of your home, they have most likely been there for quite a while.

Categories
Flora & Fauna

The Truth About Fire Ant Bites | Fire Ants

About Fire Ant Bites – Though often referred to as fire ant bites, the burning, itchy blisters left by this tiny insect are actually stings.

The Truth About Fire Ant Bites | Fire Ants
Snopes.com

These bitty insects are quite stealthy, crawling undetected beneath the shirts and pant legs of unsuspecting victims for up to ten seconds before unleashing their fury.

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The Truth About Fire Ant Bites | Fire Ants
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The ant holds on to the skin with the mandibles, located on the front of the head, to gain leverage for the doubling up of the abdomen area, where the stinger is housed.

One sting is never enough, however, as they repeatedly sting even after the venom reserve has been depleted.

Animals and humans alike have been ravaged, and even killed, for disturbing an active fire ant hill, as these angry soldiers are capable of swarming before one even knows what happened.

The Truth About Fire Ant Bites | Fire Ants
healthline.com

The venom in fire ant bites (stings) is composed of a toxic alkaloid solution, and this venom can be released into the skin of a victim up to 15 times by one single ant during attack.

These stings, initially, feel like a deep and harsh mosquito bite, but the sensation shortly following this one is, indeed, the fire that these insects are named for.

A person who does not suffer an adverse, allergic reaction to these fire ant bites will still undergo possible aftereffects, as the blisters left behind can be easily broken.

This is not a good situation, as the breaking of these blisters most often cause secondary staff infections when opened to air.

These infections can destroy immense volumes of skin tissue, and tend to spread quickly.

It is of utmost importance than one who has been stung by fire ants watches closely for severe allergic reaction to the alkaloid venom.

Signs of this potentially fatal reaction include nausea, chest pains, hives, shortness of breath, dizziness, or swelling.

There may also be signs of shock, and in very rare cases, a lapse into a comatose state. At the first tinge of any of these reactions, one will need to seek immediate medical attention.

The Truth About Fire Ant Bites | Fire Ants
wikihow.com

The proper procedure for care of these fire ant bites always begins the same way, by gently cleaning the surface of the blister or sting site with rubbing alcohol. Remember, be gentle, as you will not want to break the infected pocket.

A topical pain relief cream with antihistamine can be applied, and it might be a good idea to take some oral antihistamine as well.

These stings will continue to itch for up to three weeks, and need to heal and dry up on their own.

Calamine lotion can be soothing to young children and adults alike.

Be sure to keep all stings as germfree and dry as possible, to allow for safe and complete healing.