Types of Ants in Dhaka Bangladesh

Posted by Robert on January 5th, 2020

Ants form one of the most successful insect groups. They are social insects that live in colonies normally located on earth but can enter buildings in search of protection and/or food. Ants feed on virtually all types of food, but those that invade houses do so in search of sweet substances and/or that contain proteins.

Because ants have a wide variety in their eating preferences and lifestyle habits, it is necessary to know what kind of ant we are facing.

Ants have complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. They are social insects and the colonies have 3 different castes: workers, queens, and males.

Crazy ant 

The name is received by the habit of their workers run messy around the room or building in search of food.

Recognition: The workers are monomorphic, approximately 2.2 to 3.0 mm long. Slim body from dark brown to black with a grayish luster or luster. Sting absent.

Biology: The colonies tend to be small, composed of up to 2,000 workers. These colonies normally have between 8 and 40 queens, they can change nesting sites.
It regularly nests under the floors in the hollows of the walls, especially near sites with high temperatures; They collect they're and follow regular trails with distances of 30 meters or more.

Control: The nest location is crucial and this is achieved by following the path on which it travels. Treatment with dry powder and priming is effective.

Fire ant


His name is received due to his abilities to inflict especially painful bites and stings. There are in turn two very important species: southern fire ant and red imported fire ant.

Recognition: Polymorphic workers, approximately 1.6 to 6 mm long; queens measure 6.6 mm long on average. Yellowish red head and thorax with a black abdomen.

Biology: The colonies can reach up to 250,000 individuals, they can have several queens the queen can produce her weight in eggs daily 1500 approx. The development time of a worker can be 22 to 38 days, they make 6 to 8 bridal flights per year. The minor workers live between 30 and 60 days, the intermediate ones from 60 to 90 days and the queen lives between 2 and 6 years, the males die after the pairing.

Control: Control is difficult, usually to eliminate the colony requires residual pesticides in liquid or granules. Although slow-acting baits are highly effective.

Pharaoh ant 

Its name receives it from Linnaeus's mistaken belief that this ant was one of the plagues of Egypt at the time of the pharaohs. This ant has been very involved in the spread of several pathogenic diseases.

Recognition: Monomorphic workers, approximately 1.5 to 2.0 mm long. Normally pale body, varying from yellowish to reddish with the abdomen often darker, sting present. Queens are approximately 4 mm long with or without wings and slightly darker in color than workers, males are approximately 2 mm long.

Biology: Colonies tend to be large with thousands of hundreds of workers with hundreds of breeding females. Although winged females are born, there are no bridal flights and the mating is in the nest.
The development period is 38 days, the workers live about 9 to 10 weeks under some variables, the queens live for 4 to 12 months and the males die 3 to 5 weeks after mating.

Control: Traditional controls often make the situation worse by causing the colony to disperse and new colonies to form. Showing a false control that would take about 10 days while the colony is reorganized.
The initial inspection is crucial to determine the location of their nests mainly looking for sources of moisture (potted plants, sinks, etc ...) and points of food sources (pet food dishes, microwaves, garbage containers, etc…).

Cutting ant 

His name is given by the habit of cutting leaves into small pieces, they are also called parasol ant because of the way he carries the pieces of leaves on his head resembling an umbrella another name he receives is that of a mushroom cultivator because the pieces of mushroom Leaves become fungi that provide their food.

This species is of considerable importance and concern for the damage they produce in human settlements.

Recognition: Polymorphic workers, 1.5 to 12 mm in length; the smaller workers measure 1.5 to 2.5 mm the medium 3 to 9 mm, the soldiers greater 10 to 12 mm, the males 13 to 18 mm and the queen 17, 24 mm long; Normally rusty brown to dull dark brown color, it has a stinger but they don't use it, they are capable of inflicting painful bites.

Biology: It only builds its nests on the ground, usually on well-drained sandy or silty soil. The nests are usually located near rivers and streams, the nests can cover up to 418 m2 of surface and up to 6 meters deep with the exits in the form of mounds. Mature nests can consist of more than one million individuals but only one long-lived queen; Some colonies may occupy an area for 60 or 70 years.
As a curious fact we can find that this species can collect food up to 182 M from its nest, they have also been seen transporting other types of food such as corn, cornmeal, flour, rice, ground coffee among others.

Control: According to the infestation and longevity of the colony, the same is done, detecting the nest and using the correct method for its elimination. Another effective method is to use repellent pesticides.

Argentine ant 

Its name is received because it is native to Argentina and part of Brazil, distributed worldwide in coffee shipments distributed since 1891.

Recognition: The workers are monomorphic, measuring around 2.2 to 2.6 mm long; the queen approximately 4 to 6 mm in length. The body varies from light to dark brown. Sting absent but may bite if provoked. When they are crushed, the workers emit a smell of rancid grease.

Biology: The colonies are located in humid conditions and near a food source. These are formed by few individuals up to several thousand. The development period is from 33 to 141 with an average of 74 days, reproduction takes place in the nest, therefore it is unusual to see winged female breeders. The workers are aggressive with other insects and ant species, but not with other colonies of the same species.
This ant normally nests near some source of moisture, the workers tend to follow regular routes in search of food and it is not uncommon to see the winged queen transporting food, the workers tend to take care of honey-producing insects. His favorite food is sweet: sugars, syrups among others.

Control: Ideally, the location of the nest and its treatment with a residual insecticide. Bait treatment is highly effective along with dry powders strategically applied in openings at ground level on the outside.

honey ant

Small honey antler or false honey ant 

His name is received due to his tiny size and his great love for the nectar, devouring it until his abdomen swells as if he had a small ball and the false name comes from the mistaken belief that he lacks the special "caste" container of honey that hangs from the chambers and stores honey.

Recognition: The workers are monomorphic measuring about 2 to 4 mm in length. Yellowish to blackish brown with a normally darker abdomen. 

Source: https://www.pestcontrolservicesbd.com/

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Robert

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Robert
Joined: September 11th, 2019
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