Ants


There are over 1,000 known species of ants in Australia. Native Australian ants are rarely troublesome, the majority of pest problems being caused by introduced species such as the Argentine and Black House ants. Of the Australian species, perhaps the best known is the Bull ant, an aggressive creature capable of inflicting a painful sting which may cause a severe allergic reaction in some individuals. Ants are completely unrelated to termites, but are social insects and share many similarities in their life cycle, though they show a much wider variety of behaviours. As with termites, the nest may contain one or more reproductive Queens and Males, and a varying number of sterile Worker ants. Different species may or may not have a Soldier class, but in general each ant caste is far more independent and adaptable than its termite counterpart. Unlike termites, ants do not generally cause direct structural damage to buildings, but their tunneling activities may damage the foundations of footpaths and small structures, as well as weakening the roots of agricultural crops. Ants can also cause problems for plant growers by encouraging infestations by sap-sucking insects, which they protect from predators in return for sweet secretions. Some species have also been known to attack electrical wiring in dwellings, and several fires have been reported as a result.
Bull Ant
The Australian Bull- or Bulldog Ant is well-known as the bane of picnickers and bush-walkers, a large (up to 25mm) and aggressive species, with powerful jaws and a very painful sting which may be dangerous to small children and persons allergic to its acid venom. Surprisingly most Bull ant species feed on plant nectar, only capturing insect prey to feed their young. They tend to live in relatively small colonies deep underground, and will respond to any percieved threat to their nest with a mass attack. With uncommonly good vision, they may pursue their enemies for a considerable distance, and once they have locked their jaws onto their victim will hang on very tenaciously - hence the name. Fortunately they are not considered a major domestic pest.
Argentine Ant
Accidentally introduced from South America, the Argentine ant is a major pest in most parts of Australia including Victoria. Unlike many ants, mated Argentine ant queens are wingless and disperse only a short distance. Because of this, their colonies tend to merge and may become extremely large, comprising millions of workers and hundreds of queens. A major eradication effort by the government proved only partly successful, and has since been abandoned. Due to the large size of their colonies, Argentine ants require large amounts of food and are very efficient scavengers - even well-sealed cupboards and refrigerators present little obstacle for foraging worker ants. They have even been observed to spiral their way down the threads of screw-top containers in search of food, to be inexplicably found inside jars of honey and other sweet substances. They are so effective in competing with other ant species that an infested area is soon dominated by Argentine ants to to exclusion of all others.
White-footed House Ant
White-footed house ants are distinguished by their light-colored lower exremities. Thriving on sweet foodstuffs and meat, they are apt to nest in the wall spaces of dwellings, but they will use any suitable void including insulation batting. They often enter homes in search of water during dry weather and are attracted to sweet substances such as sugar and soft drinks. Prolific reproducers, a sucessful colony may contain millions of workers and several queens. They are not known to be poisonous but their swarming behaviour makes them an annoying pest.