Ants are everywhere - we can meet them both in the garden, in the middle of the forest, and in our own home. There are over 12,000 in the world. species of ants, of which about 100 live in Poland. But are they dangerous to humans? Which ants bite? Which of them should we avoid?

Ants- next to bees - are consideredthe hardestanimals in the world. In addition, they are realstrongmen , because they can carry a weight 50 times their weight. They feel great in an urbanized environment because they are not picky - they eat both plant and animal food, preferring food rich in sugar and protein. That is why we can meet them practically everywhere.

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Ants - are they useful?

Ants are very useful. They are calledcleaners of the worldbecause they clean the soil of plant residues and food. This is why we can observe them shortly after a piece of apple or biscuit falls to the ground.

Fun facts about ants

Ants are unusual animals. They live in larger or smallercolonies(supercollonies), which can be as many asbillions of individuals .

Their nests underground (i.e.anthills ) have a complicated system of corridors and chambers, each of which is dedicated to something different. Some of them store eggs, others collect food supplies, others serve as burial places for dead ants, and others grow… mushrooms. Scientists have found that the ants (exactly the mushroom ants) are the only ones, apart from humans, able to grow their own food.

Some anthills are of impressive size - the largest of them discovered in Argentina was over6,000. km long !

The greatest admiration, however, is the fact that ants build large,perfectly organized communities , in which each ant has a strictly defined function. And so, among the ants, we can distinguish the following individuals:

  • queen
  • worker ants
  • ants soldiers
  • scout ants
  • males (drones)

Ants - are they dangerous to humans?

Most dangerousantsnaworldare happily located far from our country:

  • Solenopsis invicta , the so-called a fire ant whose bite is comparable to a burn. Found in the United States, it can kill frogs, lizards and even small mammals;
  • Brachyponera- its colonies are most widespread in East Asia.

Ants - which ones bite?

There are around80 kinds ofants in Poland and the vast majority of them areharmlessfor humans. But there are also several types of ants that we should avoid . The most aggressive ants in our country are:

  • common rabbits( Myrmica rubra ) - this is the so-calledred antsthat like moisture, so they build nests under rotten wood or stones. They are 4-5 mm long and equipped with an retractable sting - they can sting it painfully even when not disturbed, e.g. when the nest is accidentally exposed.
  • rudnice ants( Formica rufa ) - these are commonforest antsliving mainly in forests conifers. The females are reddish brown and the males are black. Their body length is about 1 cm, they have strongly developed mandibles, which are used to cut off bites of food and to attack. They build magnificent anthills, the above-ground part of which reaches 1.5 m in height, and the underground part - even up to 2 m. Their venom most often causes allergic reactions. In Poland, these ants are partially protected.

Ant bite - what to do?

Ants usually bite when they feel threatened. Their attack looks like that they first bite their victim (to make it easier to stay on its body), and then pour the resulting wound with venom, which contains, among others,formic acidand alkaloid proteins (including dialkylpiperidine).

An ant bite resembles a local burn and manifests itself:

  • quite severe pain lasting from half an hour to an hour,
  • irritation,
  • itching,
  • with minor blemishes.

For such a bite, it is best to usecold compresswith baking soda orsoothing gelinsect bites.

Ant venom allergy

An allergy to ant venom is becoming more common. They can most often be found in people who are allergic to the venom of other Hymenoptera insects, i.e.wasps and bees(their venom also contains formic acid), as well asallergy sufferersseasonal andatopics .

An allergy to ant venom usually manifests itself:

  • persistent on the body for a long timepimples,
  • itchy rash,
  • blush,
  • urticaria,
  • large swelling.

In extreme cases, an ant venom allergy may result inskin necrosisoranaphylactic shock- luckily, such cases occur sporadically.

Ants and aphids

Ants can be found wherever there are aphids, so many people mistakenly assume that these insects feed on aphids. However, this is not true. Both species have entered into a peculiar system from which each side benefits. Aphids excrete the honeydew, which ants eagerly eat. In exchange for sweet food, the ants take care of the aphids, protecting them from predators, and cleansing their colonies of dead individuals.

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Category:

Parasitic diseases