Keep Your Food Free From Pilfering Oregon Ants
Oregon is home to some of the most beautiful landscapes you can find and every year, thousands of tourists flock to the beauty and majesty of Oregon’s stunning coastline. Though the beaches can be rather chilly at certain times of the year, the magnificent views off the Oregon coast are breathtaking and the quiet beauty has vacationers returning year after year. The moss covered forests draw people away from their homes and into the woods, to hiking trails and campsites throughout all seasons to explore the natural beauty that exists in abundance in this great state. Sadly, one pest that also exists in abundance is the ant. It is a known fact that this insect, unlike other insects, inhabits nearly every piece of land on earth, except Antarctica. There is no escaping them, but that does not mean we accept their presence in our homes.
Fascinating ant facts
While ants might be incredibly annoying, they are rather incredible creatures. Scientists spend countless hours learning about their colonies and instinctual interactions among each other. Here are a few of spectacular ant facts you might not know:
- The largest ant colony ever found was over 3750 miles wide.
- The Maricopa ant is the most venomous ant in the entire world and when it stings, it is the equivalent of 12 honey bees. Just a dozen stings can kill a 2 kg rat!
- Ants can move an estimated 50 tons of soil in one square mile per year. These insects do not know the meaning of laziness and very hard workers.
- Females do all the work. It may seem archaic but it’s how things are done in the ant world. All soldiers and workers ants are female while the drones simply exist to mate with the queen and then die off a few months later.
- Ants have two stomachs. It sounds strange but it is how they help keep the colony alive. One stomach is used for their own survival and the other is used for sharing. Sometimes ants are seen “kissing” but it is really them passing food to another ant in need of sustenance.
- Ants have poor eyesight. Though it appears as a huge inconvenience, they make up for it with their sense of smell and excellent communication. In fact, there are several species with no eyes at all, yet they exist successfully since their antennae are used to communicate between the colony members.
