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nonfiction (ants) Book Collection on Epic

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View the nonfiction (ants) collection on Epic plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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Learn All About Ants  🐜  Ant Facts For Kids 🐜

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Ants are social insects. This means that they live together in organized communities called colonies. There are more than 10,000 different species, or kinds, of ants. Ants…

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Check out our ten favourite facts about ants that are guaranteed to blow your mind...

1. There are over 12,000 ant species worldwide

Ranging from the ant you might find scuttling across your picnic to the ants building underground fortresses in the rainforest, to flying ants!

2. The bullet ant is said to have the most painful sting in the world!

Living in humid jungle conditions such as the Amazon, their sting has been compared to being hit by a bullet - ouch!

3. Fire ants cause over £3 billion worth of damage a year!

North America's red imported fire ant might only be little, but the tiny critters have a painful bite which causes a burning sensation - hence the name "fire ant", which costs the US millions in veterinary and medical bills every year! They've also been known to cause damage to farmer's crops.

4. Ants are the longest living insects

Unlike some bugs who might only live for days or even hours, the queen ant of one particular species - the Pogonomyrmex Owyheei - can live up to 30 years - so be careful not to stand on her!

5. The ant is one of the world's strongest creatures in relation to its size

A single ant can carry 50 times its own bodyweight, and they'll even work together to move bigger objects as a group!

Ants carry leaves and twigs back to their nests!

6. Ants hold the record for the fastest movement in the animal kingdom

The aptly named species of trap jaw ant, can close its jaws at 140mph, which it uses to kill its prey or injure predators. Image if that bit you on the bum!

7. Ants can be found on every single continent except Antarctica

Ironic really, when you consider the name...

8. Ants are social insects which live in colonies

The colony, also called a formicary, is made up of one or more egg-laying queens and a large amount of female "worker" ants who tend to her, build and maintain the nest, forage for food and and care for the young.

Male ants have wings and their only function is to mate with the queen.

9. Ants don't have ears, and some of them don't have eyes!

Ants "listen" by feeling vibrations from the ground through their feet, and eye-less ants such as the driver ant species can communicate by using their antennae!

Plus, they can send chemical signals (called pheremones) released through their body to send messages to other ants! They send out warnings when danger's near, leave trails of pheremones leading to food sources and even use them to attract a mate - a sort of ant love potion!

10. The largest ant's nest ever found was over 3,700 miles wide!

Found in Argentina in 2000, the ginormous colony housed 33 ant populations which had merged into one giant supercolony, with millions of nests and billions of workers!

Images ⓒ Getty Images: Ants on leaf (483596365), Ant carrying leaf (157168347).

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10 cool facts about ants! - National Geographic Kids

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They may be small, but boy are these little critters powerful! These cool ant facts for kids are the perfect way to learn about these incredible little creatures...

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Ant Facts for Kids

We're all familiar with ants, right? Those tiny black insects that steal food off picnic blankets? But did you know ants can also be big, be colors other than black, and even have wings and fly? View some interesting facts about ants for kids below, help Archibald the ant complete his mission by playing the game Archibald's Adventure, or learn how to make an egg carton ant!

There are more than 12,000 different types of ants all over the world!

Ants can lift 20 times their own body weight. If a second grader was as strong as an ant, they could pick up a car!

Ant colonies are run by a single queen ant, who control all the other ants.

Some queen ants can live for many years and have millions of babies.

Ants don't have ears. Ants "hear" by feeling rumbles in the ground through their feet.

Ants don't have lungs. Air enters and leaves through tiny holes all over their body.

When ants fight, it is usually to the death!

Ants leave invisible breadcrumbs (called a pheromone trail) everywhere they go, so they know where they've been.

Worker ants can't have babies. That means when a queen dies, the colony usually dies a few months later.

Ants eat different kinds of foods depending on the type of ant, including sweet sugary foods or fatty oily foods.

Ants communicate through scent, touch, motion, sound, and trophallaxis.

You can make ants on a log with healthy snacks like celery and peanut butter!

Get to know ants:

There are 3 kinds of ants in a colony: The queen, the female workers, and males.

The queen and the males have wings, the workers do not. The queen is the only ant that can lay eggs. A male ant's job is to mate with future queen ants. Once the queen is old enough to lay eggs, she spends the whole rest of her life laying eggs!

Some worker ants act as soldiers. They protect the colony, gather food, and fight other colonies for more food and space. If they beat another ant colony, they take the other colony's eggs. When those eggs hatch, the new ants are forced to work for the new colony. They take care of the eggs and babies, find food for the colony, and build the anthills or mounds.

What Do Argentine Ants Eat?:

Argentine ants like sweet meals the best but will eat almost anything. That includes meats, eggs, oils and fats. They leave a scent trail everywhere they go so they don't waste time visiting the same place twice. Unlike most ant types, Argentine queens help with finding food.

Where Do Argentine Ants Live?:

Argentine ant live in wet environments typically near a good food source. Their colonies can get huge, sometimes covering entire garden or even a whole back yard.

What Do Carpenter Ants Eat?:

You may think carpenter ants eat wood, since they dig big holes into the wood. But no! They don't eat any of it. They dig holes in wood but leave piles of it outside the entrance to their home. Instead, carpenter ants eat living and dead insects, meat, and fats and sugary foods of all kinds such as honeydew and nectar from plants.

Where Do Carpenter Ants Live?:

We know carpenter ants build nests in wood, but where? What type of wood do they prefer? Carpenter ants live anywhere they can find water and moldy or damp wood, such as tree stumps, firewood or in the plants around your house.

Carpenter ants also build nests inside, usually entering buildings through wet, damaged wood, although it isn't uncommon for them to adapt to drier environments. You know you have a colony of carpenter ants if you see piles of sawdust on the floor.

What Problems Do Carpenter Ants Cause?:

The good news is that carpenter ants don't carry disease and can't really harm you physically. But when building a nest inside a home, they dig smooth tunnels through the wood. These tunnels weaken the wood and potentially damage the wood that keeps the house standing. This kind of damage can be very expensive to fix.

What Do Odorous House Ants Eat?:

Odorous house ants like to eat dead insects and sugary sweets, especially melon.

Where Do Odorous House Ants Live?:

Odorous house ants live in the walls and floor cracks of homes. They may also live in exposed soil and under stones, logs, mulch, debris and other items. They typically have a lifespan of several years.

What Do Pavement Ants Eat?:

Pavement ants will eat almost anything! This includes insects, seeds, honeydew, honey, bread, meats, nuts, cheese, and even grease.

Where Do Pavement Ants Live?:

Pavement ants most commonly live in soil next to and beneath pavement slabs, sidewalks, patios, and driveways. They may also build nests under a building's foundation and hollow foundation walls.

What Do Red Imported Fire Ants Eat?:

Red imported fire ants primarily eat vegetation. That's right - even though they will bite people, they can be considered vegetarians. They aren't biting you to eat or to be mean, but to defend themselves. After all, you're a lot bigger than they are.

Where Do Red Imported Fire Ants Live?:

Red imported fire ant live in very noticeable mounds. These mounds are huge, sometimes a whole foot tall, and typically in the shape of a dome. They like to build these mounds outdoors out of soil, usually in landscape areas like grass or near a building's foundation. They occasionally enter buildings through holes or cracks in walls and foundations.

Are Red Ants Harmful to Humans?:

Yes! Red imported ants do cause harm. The sting (bite) of a red imported fire ant is very painful and often results in a raised welt that becomes a white blister. People who are allergic to insect stings will react even more severely. Plus, the building of their big mounds can damage plant roots and lead to loss of crops.

What Should I Do If I See Red Imported Fire Ants?:

The first thing to do if you see important fire ants is to get away from them. If they start crawling on you, they are likely to bite you, and if there are a bunch of them, that could result in a lot of pain.

Next, immediately ask a grown-up to call a pest control professional. Other types of ants are annoying and can contaminate your food, but at least they can't physically hurt you. You want these ants away from your house as quickly as possible. There is more info on red imported fire ants and how to get rid of them at the official National Pest Management Association website.

Also watch red imported fire ants face off with Formosan termites on episode 3 of Bug Battles!

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Did you know that an ant can lift 20 times its own body weight? Find more fun facts about ants and other ant information for kids in our ant pest guide.

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nonfiction (ants) Book Collection on Epic

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View the nonfiction (ants) collection on Epic plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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Insect Gardeners

Leafcutter ants are gardeners. They do not collect leaves to eat, but instead they use leaves to help grow a fungus that they harvest for food. Both the ants and fungus benefit from this symbiotic relationship that has evolved over millions of years. Leafcutter ants can be found in regions of North, Central, and South America.

Live camera hours:

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT

Leaf supply times:

9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. EDT

The ants will be most active during leaf supply times, when they will be cutting and collecting fresh plant material.

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This Museum of Science leafcutter ant colony is home to about 100,000 ants. Watch as they harvest leaves for their fungus garden.