The commonest species that invades houses
is the Black Garden Ant, which is actually
very dark brown. All ants have the main
divisions of the body (head, thorax, abdomen)
distinctly separated by very narrow waists
and have a sharp elbow joint in their antennae.
They are highly organised social insects.
It is the foraging worker ants that invade
buildings in search of food. These are from
3 to 5mm in length and attracted to sweet
foodstuffs which they take back to the nest
to feed to the larvae and queen. The so-called
ants eggs sold for aquaria fish are actually
the pupae. Flying ants are the reproductive
males and females. These mating ants are
winged and have a nuptial swarming flight
during only a few days in July or August.
Mating takes place in the air and the female
then seeks out a nest site where she stays
for the winter, laying eggs the following
spring in order to start up a new colony.
