Ants

Ants’ bodies are covered with a hard armor called the exoskeleton. Most ants are either red or black in color and their length can be anywhere from 1/3 to ½ inch.

Ants do little direct damage to plants. But mutualisms between ants and sap-sucking insects such as aphids make huge negative effects on plants. Ants and aphids share a well-documented symbiotic relationship, which means they both benefit mutually from their working relationship. Ants carry individual aphids or mealybugs or other sap-sucking insects, one at a time, up into fruit trees, and care for and protect them from predators and parasites. In exchange, sap-sucking insects such as aphids produce sugary food for the ants. Therefore, managing ants is one way of controlling the aphid population.

Life Cycle

The ant’s life cycle consists of four stages: Egg, Larva, Pupa, and Adult. The entire life cycle of ants usually takes from 6 to 10 weeks. Fertilized eggs produce female ants (queens, workers, or soldiers); unfertilized eggs produce male ants.