Are Ants Bad For Spiders?
WouterIf you’re wondering, are ants bad for spiders, you’re not alone. They are a common arachnid and are found on every continent except Antarctica. However, ants can be dangerous if they are fire ants.
The European fire ant is a naturally aggressive scavenger. Its digestive juices contain potent venom. Besides being dangerous to humans, fire ants also prey on many other invertebrates, including spiders.
In North America, there are over 3,400 species of spiders. Some are poisonous, but most are harmless. Spiders are beneficial to the environment. Many have silk lines that trap prey.
These spiders use super sticky silk lines to catch their prey. Some mimic the actions of ants, while others prefer to hunt them.
Scientists have discovered that the spider Euryopis umbilicata performs Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics to kill ants. This research has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers at Simon Fraser University have found that spiders avoid building webs around ants. They also found that spiders can detect chemicals in ants. Using high speed video cameras, the researchers tracked how the spiders reacted to these ant scent trails.
Formic acid is released by ants, which can destroy spiders. Despite this, most ants are harmless. As long as you clean your house regularly, you should be safe.
To help keep ants from invading your home, avoid leaving food bait near ants. Also, make sure your kitchen counters and floors are clean. You can also add citrus peels and lemon juice to disrupt ant trails.
