If humans are to thrive on this earth, we must learn about bugs<\/a><\/li>

Moths are overlooked but play an important part in our ecosystem<\/a><\/li>

Aphids are one of the most remarkable insects on the planet<\/a><\/li>

Dragonflies and damselflies once had huge wingspans<\/a><\/li>

Wasps are annoying, but you definitely want them in your garden<\/a><\/li>

Earwigs are great garden helpers<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
In sheer numbers alone they are astonishing, with around 50 species in the UK and over 15,000 species globally. A report published in the US Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences estimated there are 20 quadrillion ants on earth – approximately 2.5 million ants for every human. As well as dwarfing our human population, their highly advanced social skills give us a run for our money. Their complex, organised colonies and sophisticated communication skills are all honed for the benefit of the colony. This remarkable cooperative behaviour is not only beneficial to their colonies but can also be good for our gardens as Royal Entomological Society expert Francisca Sconce explains \u2026<\/p>
<\/div><\/figure>Ants are closely related to bees, wasps and sawflies and are grouped in the taxonomic family \u2018Formicidae\u2019 within the taxonomic order \u2018Hymenoptera\u2019. Typically, ants have large heads with two sets of jaws or mandibles. One is used as a tool for carrying, digging or fighting and the other, smaller set for eating and cleaning. Their \u2018elbowed antennae\u2019, where each antenna has a 90-degree angle in it, are highly sensitive organs and are used to touch, smell and communicate. They have a narrow \u2018petiole\u2019 waist which is formed of some thorax and abdomen segments and is characteristic of their species.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ant and aphids \u00a9 Royal Entomological Society – \u00a9 Royal Entomological Society<\/figcaption><\/figure><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">‘Flying Ant Day\u2019 and helps to reduce inbreeding in colonies<\/p><\/blockquote>The life cycle of the ant begins in summer when new queens and males swarm, fly and mate. The synchronised swarming \u2018en masse\u2019 is often referred to as \u2018Flying Ant Day\u2019 and helps to reduce inbreeding in colonies. Generally, only one male will fertilise a queen who will then drop to the ground, remove her wings and find a suitable site to excavate a nest. But all this happens only if the flying ants survive bird attacks and general predation. Less than 5 per cent of the queens that swarm will start a new colony.<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">The queen cares for her young and will rarely, if ever, leave the nest<\/p><\/blockquote>The mated queen finds a suitable site to make a nest and lays small, white, fertilised eggs. The larvae emerge after a few days, grow and moult through 3-5 larval stages before, typically, transforming into pupae that then hatch as adult female worker ants after a few weeks. The queen cares for her young and will rarely, if ever, leave the nest. The larvae and queen rely on the rest of the adult female workers to forage for food, feed and maintain the colony and defend the nest.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1907\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/10\/Lunchtime-by-Adam-Polednicek-Cornwall-United-Kingdom-2014_595ACom-1907x1500-1.jpg\" alt=\"Ant eating \u00a9 Adam Poledni\u0301c\u030cek\" class=\"wp-image-161140\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ant eating \u00a9 Adam Poledni\u0301c\u030cek – \u00a9 Adam Poledni\u0301c\u030cek<\/figcaption><\/figure>Adult female workers may live for a few months or even years depending on the species, but queens can live from 5 to an amazing 20 years. The amount of food available and the temperature at these larval stages is what decides whether the individual female becomes a worker or a queen. If the latter, the female will then fly off to start another colony. The queen can also lay unfertilised eggs. These hatch into males, which live for one season, their sole purpose being to mate with a new queen.<\/p>Ants are generally omnivorous and will forage and eat just about anything from smaller invertebrates, plant sap and the sugary substances excreted by aphids known as \u2018honeydew\u2019. They are rather partial to these sweet, sugary foods which is why they are eager to dive into your picnic if you disturb a nest. The worker ants will then team up to haul the larger food items back to the colony \u2013 who hasn\u2019t watched, fascinated, as ants help each other to carry seemingly impossible loads back to their nests?<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">Some colonies, like the UK\u2019s wood ant, can link with others to form larger \u2018super colonies\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>Ant colonies can contain many thousands of individuals and some colonies, like the UK\u2019s wood ant, can link with others to form larger \u2018super colonies\u2019. The nests are generally built in the ground in soft or sandy soil. In the garden you are likely to find them in a sand bed underneath a patio or beneath paving slabs and stepping stones. They may also decide to take up residence in your compost heap!<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">Ants pollinate plants, disperse seeds and improve the quality of the soil.<\/p><\/blockquote>Despite their sometimes-bothersome choice of nesting location, ants play an important part in the biodiversity of our gardens. They contribute greatly to our eco systems by pollinating plants, dispersing seeds and improving the quality of the soil. They have an integral relationship with common garden pests and you may well find them \u2018farming\u2019 aphids in your vegetable patch. To do this they tap the aphid abdomens to extract the sweet honeydew, and in the process, protect the aphids from predators such as ladybirds, parasitic wasps and hoverfly larvae. Gardeners may find it frustrating to allow ants to protect aphids, but ants also predate on aphids and, in their turn, ants themselves are predated upon by other beneficial garden wildlife including beetles, spiders, birds and reptiles, keeping the populations in natural balance.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2454\" height=\"1525\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/10\/15-Ant-with-aphid-honeydew-droplet-\u00a9-Royal-Entomological-Society.jpg\" alt=\"Ant with aphid honeydew droplet \u00a9 Royal Entomological Society\" class=\"wp-image-161138\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ant with aphid honeydew droplet \u00a9 Royal Entomological Society – \u00a9 Royal Entomological Society<\/figcaption><\/figure>There are times when gardeners may feel the need to take action to manage ant populations, particularly when they are disturbing the roots of plants or causing damage to patios and lawns. There are some simple and responsible steps to take rather than reaching for the kettle or using toxic chemical powders, which can potentially harm other non-target insects and animals.<\/p><h3 id=\"h-things-you-can-do-to-control-ant-populations-without-toxic-chemicals\">Things you can do to control ant populations without toxic chemicals<\/h3><ul><li>Consider removing sources of attraction like barbeques or move plant pots to different locations. <\/li><li>Try using natural ant repellents such as cayenne pepper, coffee grinds, or lemon or peppermint oils around the ant pathways. <\/li><li>Applying grease bands around fruit trees or containers may discourage ants from crawling upwards. <\/li><li>For nests in lawns or borders a biological control nematode, Steinernema feltiae<\/em>, can be watered into the surface.<\/li><\/ul>Ants are an important part of the biodiversity of a healthy garden and their presence should be broadly tolerated. 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