Learn About Ants

If you have general questions about ants, please click here.

Do ants go through metamorphosis?

Like butterflies, ants go through metamorphosis! The four stages of the ant life cycle are egg, larvae, pupa and adult!

Why do ants have antennae?

Take a close-up look at an ant's powerful pair of antennae! These sensitive structures contain organs for touching and smelling, and are an ant's primary tools for communication within their colony. By producing scent chemicals known as "pheromones",

How strong is an ant?

Despite their tiny size, ants are incredibly strong. The strongest ants can lift 50 times their own body weight! They also are fast for their size, able to run 9 body lengths per second, which is the equivalent to a human running 30mph!

Are ants intelligent?

Ants are brainy-- they have the largest insect brain relative to their size, which contributes to their very complex social structure. Individual ants travel for long distances, search for food, and most importantly, communicate with other members of

What do Western Harvester Ants eat?

Western Harvester ants eat seeds from many plant species. In the wild, they harvest seeds directly from plants or gather fallen seeds. These sees are stored in their nests for winter. You can feed your Western Harvester Ants sunflower seeds, or small

What kind of seeds do ants enjoy?

Harvester Ants love to gather seeds and store them in the granary within the ant colony. They particularly enjoy seeds that they can take back to the colony and break open. The seeds that they favor include:. Try giving your ants a couple of differen

What is a group of ants called?

Because of their many numbers, a group of ants is often called a colony or an army. Each individual colony is a collection of female worker ants, drones, the queen and any offspring. These ants live together in an ant hill, where they cooperate to ma

What is a granary?

As you observe your ants, you may notice them creating specific rooms within Ant Mountain™. One of these rooms is called a "granary". A granary is an important space for the colony and is specific to Harvester Ants. The ants store seeds and other foo

How long have ants populated the earth?

Tiny but mighty, ants have been on the planet for a very long time. Ants evolved 150 million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period. They roamed the earth alongside the dinosaurs! How do we know this? Fossilized ants have been found trapped in amber

Is there an ant king?

Ant colonies always have a queen, but do they have a king as well? You might be surprised to learn that they don't, ants live in a matriarchal society. There are three types of ants in a colony:. Each ant has a particular role that helps their colony