Feeding Habits of Harvester Ants

Description

• Harvester ants are a medium-sized ant that grows up to 1/4-inch long. The ants have variable colors that range from bright red to dark brown or black; some species have a bicolored appearance. Unlike most ants, the stalk between the abdomen and the thorax -- called a pedicel by entomologists -- has two segments. Colonies are composed of winged males and females as well as wingless female workers.

Nesting Habits

• Young winged harvester ant males and females will swarm away from their parent colony, pair up and mate. The males die shortly after mating and females dig burrows, deposit and care after the eggs. The female workers that emerge help continue to the construction of the nest as well as look after new eggs as the colony grows. As harvester ant colonies develop, the nest grows larger. Harvester ant workers have large mouth parts that they use to clear grass and other small plants away from the surrounding area and build up the nest. Harvester ants can clear areas up to 20 feet in diameter around the nest and excavate tunnels over 10 feet underground, according to entomologists at North Carolina State University.

Feeding Habits

• Harvester ants do not feed on the grass that they cut down but rather on grass seeds. Harvester ants collect seeds from many species of grass and transport them back to the nest. Often, there are large storage rooms in the nest called granaries where harvester ants store up grass seed for future meals. Harvester ants also collect and feed on any dead insects that they come across while foraging for seeds.

Damage

• Harvester ants can create unsightly mounts if left untreated in home lawns. Harvester ants can inflict a painful bite that can cause significant pain, so nests near your home can pose a serious threat to your family and pets. However, if the nests are located in an unused area of your property far away from your home you should consider leaving them alone since they provide many beneficial environmental services including seed dispersal as well as aerating the soil. Harvester ants are also an important food source for many types of animals and nest will attract many types of wildlife to your property.