What Do Ants Do to Aphids?
WouterWhether you are planting a garden, growing a crop, or just have a lawn, ants can be a pest. They can damage plants and kill many different species of insects.
Ants actually farm aphids. They steal nutrients from plants by sucking on the stems and leaves. They then excrete a sticky substance called honeydew. They use this substance to supply their workers with a food source.
Some ant species even tranquilize aphids. This makes them less active and enables them to move at about a third of their normal speed.
These ants protect aphid colonies from predators, such as ladybirds. They also tend to the aphids’ eggs. Ants have been known to bite off the wings of mature aphids to prevent them from flying away.
Ants also carry aphid eggs from one nest to another. They also release chemicals from their feet that act as pheromone trails. They also use chemicals to sabotage aphids’ wing development.
Ants are known for their incredible behavior. They can carry 5,000 times their body weight. They have been known to aerate soil and decompose organic matter.
Ants also produce a sticky substance called honeydew. It is made from excess sugars. Honeydew gives ants a competitive edge over native species. They also use honeydew to feed the queen.
Ants may even use chemicals to force aphids to ingest them. This is an extremely sophisticated exploitation of aphids.
There are many different kinds of ants, and each of them has a specific role in an ant colony. Farmers ants, for example, specialize in shepherding aphids. Yellow meadow ants, for example, select the most productive aphids.
