Overheard: If there are rats, there is no snake. If there are black ants, there is no termite. What Type of Ant Eats Termites? Carpenter Ants Carpenter ants live in trees and often inhabit places termites have infested, sometimes killing the termites in their homes. They sometimes also remove pieces of wood themselves when building homes. These ants do not eat wood, but they do eat live and dead insects. They are wingless and black, measuring 1/4 inch long on average. These are generally nocturnal ants, which forage for food at night. Army Ants Also called legionary ants, army ants feed on any animal life they are able to overwhelm. These ants are some of the fastest and groups swarm their prey, quickly covering the animal before devouring it. They also have the longest legs of any type of ant. Some species of army ant have large hooked pincers that are strong enough to puncture human skin, making quick work of termite prey. Fire Ants Fire ants were introduced to the United States from South America. Like army ants, fire ants swarm and are highly aggressive. Their bites are also venomous. These ants are potentially harmful to humans, livestock and pets, as well as termites. Fire ants come in two main varieties, red and black. The red variety is more dangerous and aggressive. Termite Defenses Although ants swarm-and-overwhelm tactic is high successful, termites have defenses that make them not such an easy dinner. In addition to having strong mandibles that fend off individual attacks, some termites squirt a sticky liquid at the ants, gluing them in place. Other termites actually explode parts of their bodies, ejecting sticky liquid and gluing both termite and ant to the floor. ehow/info_8368672_type-ant-eats-termites.html
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 01:11:27 +0000
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