Hobbies And Interests
Argentine Ants
Argentine ants are a highly successful species that originally came to America via Brazilian freighters. They are scavengers and will leave pheromone trails for other ants to follow, often leading to columns of Argentine ants moving through a house in search of food or, in dry weather, water. They have been known to move their eggs into houses, and they are damaging to the ecology of areas where they are introduced, often wiping out any other ant colonies.
Harvester Ants
Harvester ants are an unusual species in that they tend to focus on one food stuff at a time. They favor seeds, in particular those of the California Poppy Bush (which, in turn, benefits from having its seeds distributed) and will often focus on one food source until it's completely exhausted. Harvester ant colonies can be easily detected since they remove all growing plants from around the entrance to their nests in order to prevent them from being shaded.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are the most immediately destructive of ant types as they nest within wood and wooden structures. This can cause damage to a house's wooden sections, and the fact that the nests are often in out-of-reach places makes them particularly hard to locate. These nests can be detected by either looking for piles of wood shavings or tapping on the wood near a suspected nest. If a nest is nearby, the ants will make a "rustling" noise in response.
Fire Ants
Fire ants are an aggressive species that prefers seeds and oily or fatty meats and also harvests nectar from plants, including cacti. Their aggression is such that they will forcibly displace other ant species to secure a good food source, often achieved by producing a drop of aerosolized venom and hurling it toward an enemy. Argentine ants are a particular foe of fire ants and will attack their nests wherever they find them.