Ants are social insects driven by the survival and growth of their colony. Their “likes” reflect the resources necessary to maintain this complex society, not human preferences. The species most frequently encountered by people—such as pavement, odorous house, and carpenter ants—share fundamental needs. These needs center on securing a balanced diet, establishing a stable nesting environment, and adapting to seasonal demands.
The Essential Diet: Primary Nutritional Needs
Worker ants constantly forage for a balanced mix of nutrients required by different colony members. Adult worker ants primarily seek sugars and carbohydrates, which provide the quick energy needed for foraging, nest maintenance, and defense. These simple energy sources are often collected from plant nectars, fruit juices, or honeydew excreted by sap-sucking insects like aphids.
Protein is the critical second component of the ant diet, serving a specialized role within the colony structure. Proteins are essential for the queen, who requires them for egg production, and for the developing larvae, whose rapid growth depends heavily on amino acids. Worker ants collect insect parts or other protein sources and bring them back to the nest to feed the larval brood, prioritizing this need during reproductive cycles.
A third dietary need involves lipids or fats, which are important for overall colony health, reproduction, and long-term energy storage. While ants can synthesize many required fats from a carbohydrate-rich diet, they also forage for fatty foods to supplement reserves. The collected food is then shared throughout the colony through trophallaxis, where one ant passes liquid food to another, meeting the entire colony’s nutritional needs.
Ideal Habitats: Environmental Preferences
Beyond food, ants seek a stable, protected environment that supports reproduction and development. Temperature is a major factor, as ants are cold-blooded and rely on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature, with optimal activity occurring between 70°F and 90°F. Many species build nests, such as dome-shaped anthills, specifically to maximize solar gain and raise the internal temperature for brood development.
Moisture and water access are equally important, as humidity is necessary for the eggs and larvae to develop properly. Ants seek out areas with optimal humidity, generally between 30% and 70%. This is why they are often found near leaky pipes, damp wood, or in high-humidity areas of a structure, and extended dry periods intensify foraging for water sources.
The physical material of the nest varies depending on the species. Most ants are subterranean, preferring to excavate intricate tunnel systems in soil or sand for protection. Other species, like carpenter ants, do not eat wood but excavate galleries within moist or damaged wood to house their colonies. The choice of nesting material is driven by the need for a structurally secure space that allows for temperature and moisture regulation.
Seasonal Changes in Attraction
The nutritional demands of the colony shift dramatically based on the season and the life cycle stage of the brood. In the spring and early summer, the colony emerges from dormancy, and the queen begins intense egg-laying. During this phase, foraging shifts heavily toward protein sources to fuel the rapid growth of the new larval generation.
As the season progresses into late summer and fall, the immediate need for protein-rich food decreases as the larvae mature. Worker ants then prioritize the collection of carbohydrates and sugars to build up the colony’s fat reserves for winter survival. This change means a colony attracted to meat scraps in May might be drawn to spilled soda or fruit in September.
Environmental needs also change with the climate, influencing where ants choose to forage and nest. During extreme summer heat, ants may retreat to deeper, cooler parts of their nests or invade homes seeking air-conditioned environments and much-needed moisture. Conversely, as outdoor temperatures drop below 60°F in the fall, many species seek the warmth and shelter of human structures, increasing indoor invasions as they look for protected places to overwinter.