Are there some kinds of ants often seen on your premises? They may be innocents like sugar ants who only aim for your food or else disaster makers like carpenter ants. Carpenter ants vs sugar ants is a must thing to observe closely for our own safety.
Over 12 000 species of ants have been identified so far. They live in colonies, and that is the reason which makes them always appear in thousands. On most occasions, they are clever to make their nests in a place hidden from our primary observations.
Sometimes it is too late when they appear around because their colonies may age several years when we could see flying swarmers during their reproduction period.
Characteristics That are Used to Distinguish Between Ants
When you see a group of strangers in your backyard or even in the kitchen, a thorough observation is the first thing you need to do. Following the ant’s line will show you where their nest is located. Assuming the size of the body, color, their most active hours, etc., will make your process much easier when determining the type and its effects.
Listed below are the factors used to identify a particular species of ants.
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Body features
The body is divided into three parts-head, thorax and abdomen. Although these sectors are common to all types of ants, we can identify each separately by using the shape. Color is also a unique feature of a particular species. By the wings present in the reproductive males and females of a colony, we can recognize the group to which they belong.
In addition, the presence of pedicles makes ants distinguished from wasps. Termites stay away from ants as every ant species presents an elbowed antenna and a definite waist.
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Behavioral features
When you look at the strange invaders in the garden, you can see how they form lines to their habitat. The clearly seen postures and how workers ants carry the collected food are identical for a species. The speed they walk around also differs from one another.
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Ant nest
The place the ants choose as their permanent residence is also a way of identifying the correct group. Ant colonies may vary in shape and size. Different colonies have different types of entrances, and the number of doors to their kingdom also may vary according to the style. Some species tend to live outside, while some silently male their colonies inside your household.
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Size of worker ants
There are three types of ants according to body size. Ones who are considered tiny present a body less than 1.58 mm, while the medium-sized have a body that lengthens by about 1.58 mm to 9.53mm. The ants who are with a body size of over 9.53 mm are the more significant kind.
Carpenter Ants Vs sugar Ants
According to the facts learned so far, we know how to identify an ant colony we discovered by following a group of food carriers. Moreover, if you can’t observe them with the naked eye clearly, collect a sample by using a brush dipped in a small amount of ethanol to identify them under a hand lens.
Body features
When distinguishing carpenter ants vs sugar ants, the shape of the body can be taken into consideration as one of the main facts. The heart shape head of the carpenter ant and its presence of only one pedicle connecting the head and thorax stands them apart from sugar ants. The sugar ants present a round head and two nodes that connect their head and thorax.
Sugar ants, literally known as black ants, are all black. But we could see carpenter ants from black, brown, red, or orange.
Each and every one of a carpenter ants colony presents wings of two sets. Queens of sugar ants will only show one pair of wings while workers have none. So basically, sugar ants appear with no wings.
Sugar ants have another name, odorous house ants, relating to the licorice-like smell they give when crushed. But we can’t smell such a specific odor when a carpenter ant is crushed.
Behavioral features
Carpenter ants’ encounter is based on searching for a habitat. Wooden roofs, wooden cabinets in the kitchen, and even the walls are most favorite places of carpenter ants where they continue digging and establishing colonies.
This is how this kind becomes harmful, destroying your house. On the contrary, sugar ants, as per its name, denote only search for food inside your premises. Sugar ants often make their colonies outdoors as hills, although they are sometimes located inside houses.
Carpenter ants continue to live inside the wooden place where they are settled as long as they live. But it is observed in sugar ants that they leave the house with the colony once they are delighted with their requirement for food.
As the harm of carpenter ants cannot be controlled easily, you will need to search for professional aids. Removing the nest once detected is crucial to avoid severe damage. Even if few carpenter ants survive from the pesticides, those have the capability of rebuilding a colony again.
Sizes of worker ants
Size is an easily seen difference between carpenter ants and sugar ants. The average length of a carpenter ant lies between 6mm and 12 mm, which means that those are a larger group in the ant’s world. The sugar ants have a body length of 4mm to 6mm. As it is the worker ants who could be seen wandering outside, it is they who can be used to identify than queens living inside almost every time.
Final wrap up
Carpenter ants and sugar ants are two types that tend to live within human dwellings. Carpenter ants continue to live for long terms if not detected, making disasters. Sugar ants- as the name means, only search for food and do not cause any severe harm.
By reading the passages, you will get to know the physical and interactive changes of the two types. Thus, we hope this knowledge will lead you to a healthy house and your economic well-being by avoiding damage from destructive carpenter ants.
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