Ants are common insects known for their complex social structures and ability to locate and transport food. While they forage for various sustenance, certain substances are harmful or actively avoided. Understanding these distinctions provides insight into ant behavior and effective management strategies. This article explores what ants cannot eat, focusing on toxic substances, deterrents, and common misconceptions.
Substances Harmful or Toxic to Ants
Certain compounds are harmful or lethal to ants upon ingestion or prolonged contact, disrupting their biological processes. Boric acid, a common example, acts as a stomach poison. When ants consume bait containing boric acid, it interferes with their digestive system, preventing nutrient absorption and leading to gradual death. It can also damage their exoskeleton, contributing to dehydration.
Boric acid is often combined with sugar to attract ants, which then carry the poisoned bait back to their colony, potentially affecting the queen and other workers. The concentration of boric acid in bait is important; too much can deter ants or kill them too quickly, while too little may not be effective.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) kills ants through physical action. Made from fossilized diatoms, it consists of microscopic, sharp silica particles. When ants contact food-grade DE, these particles abrade and pierce their exoskeletons, absorbing protective oils and waxes. This damage leads to desiccation, causing the ant to dehydrate and die.
While lethal to insects, food-grade diatomaceous earth is generally safe for humans and pets, though inhaling the dust can irritate the lungs.
Commercial insecticides target insects by disrupting their nervous systems. These chemicals lead to symptoms like tremors, convulsions, paralysis, and ultimately death. Insecticides like pyrethroids interfere with nerve impulse transmission, causing an over-excitation of the insect’s nervous system. Other active ingredients, such as fipronil and neonicotinoids, also target the nervous system.
Many common household cleaning products are fatal to ants upon direct contact. Strong chemicals like bleach, ammonia, glass cleaners, or dish soap solutions kill ants immediately. Bleach not only kills on contact but also disrupts the pheromone trails ants use for communication, temporarily preventing them from locating resources. Soapy water can suffocate ants by coating their bodies and blocking their respiratory pores.
Substances Ants Avoid
Ants possess a highly developed sense of smell, which they rely on for navigation, foraging, and communication. This makes them sensitive to strong odors, causing them to avoid certain areas. Essential oils like peppermint, tea tree, and eucalyptus are effective natural repellents. Their intense aromas disrupt ants’ scent trails, making it difficult for them to find food or navigate. Mixing these oils with water and spraying them around entry points can deter ants.
Various kitchen spices and citrus products also deter ants due to their pungent smells. Cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and citrus peels (from lemons, oranges, or grapefruits) repel ants. The strong scent of cinnamon can disrupt ant pheromone trails, while citrus oils interfere with their navigation. Ants avoid crossing barriers made from such substances due to these strong smells.
Physical barriers, though not ingested, can prevent ants from accessing certain areas. Substances like chalk, baby powder, or petroleum jelly create a texture or sticky surface ants struggle to cross. Chalk lines disrupt their ability to maintain footing or follow scent trails, forming a temporary barrier. Specialized physical barriers, such as stainless steel mesh, are also used in construction to prevent ant and termite intrusion.
Ants also avoid certain irritating or unpalatable foods. While not toxic, extremely spicy foods, such as those containing cayenne pepper, can irritate an ant’s sensory system and disrupt their pheromone communication, causing them to avoid the area. Ants prefer sweet substances for energy and bypass anything with a strong or unpleasant taste or smell, perceiving it as unsuitable for consumption.
Common Misconceptions and Ineffective Methods
Numerous popular beliefs about ant control persist despite lacking scientific basis, often leading to ineffective methods. A widespread myth suggests that ants eat cornmeal, grits, or uncooked rice, which then expands in their stomachs, causing them to burst. This is inaccurate; ants cannot digest solid grains like cornmeal. If consumed, they will simply pass it undigested or avoid it. Cornmeal is often used as a bait base in commercial ant traps because ants are attracted to its carbohydrate content, not because it kills them.
Another common misconception involves using plain sugar as an ant deterrent or poison. While ants are attracted to sugar, it serves as a food source, providing them with energy. Sugar alone does not harm or kill ants; it acts as an attractant. This is why it is often combined with toxic substances like boric acid in effective ant baits. Without a toxic agent, offering sugar to ants will only encourage their presence, not eliminate them.
Using water as a primary method for deterring or eliminating ant infestations is largely ineffective as a long-term solution. While boiling water poured directly onto an ant hill can kill some ants and disrupt the colony, spraying or dousing ants with regular water only dislodges them temporarily or drowns individual ants.
Water does not remove the pheromone trails that guide ants, nor does it address the underlying colony. Ants will likely return to the same areas once the water dries. Effective ant control requires targeting the colony and its communication systems, not just individual foragers.