Where Do Ants Come From?

Even in a high-tech environment and high-rise building, ants have a way of creeping on you. Where do ants come from and how do they find their way to you when you attract them, unwittingly?

Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash

With the help of ChatGPT, you will uncover the following (and possibly score a point in a game of trivia by knowing the answer to the question: "Where do ants come from?"):-

Ants are fascinating creatures with remarkable survival skills—and even more impressive when you realize how adaptable they are in urban settings like high-rise buildings.

🐜 Where Do Ants Come From?

Ants come from colonies—underground or hidden nests built in the soil, walls, cracks, potted plants, or even behind electrical outlets or inside furniture. Each colony has:

• A queen (or several, in some species) who lays eggs.

• Workers, who forage for food, care for the young, and build the nest.

• Sometimes soldiers, for defense.

In apartments or high-rise buildings, ants can:

• Travel up through service ducts, cracks in walls, and utility piping (water, gas, electrical).

• Be carried in through potted plants, groceries, cardboard boxes, or secondhand items.

• Build nests inside walls, under floors, behind cabinets, or even in air-con units if moisture is present.

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👀 Are Ants Blind?

Some ants are partially or completely blind, especially species that live mostly underground. However, most common household ants (like sugar ants or Argentine ants) have compound eyes and can detect:

• Light and shadow

• Movement

• Shapes (though not very clearly)

But ants don’t rely on eyesight to find food. Instead, they use other powerful senses:

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🔍 How Do Ants Find Sugary Stuff?

Ants are masters of chemosensation—they use their antennae to detect chemical signals. Here's how they find sweet foods:

1. Scouting: A single worker ant roams randomly and if it finds sugar, it:

   • Eats some or collects it.

   • Heads back to the nest laying a pheromone trail as it returns.

2. Recruitment: Other ants follow the trail left behind, reinforcing it each time they go to the food and back.

3. Highway of ants: Soon, you'll see a steady line of ants going back and forth—like a GPS made from scent.

They are particularly attracted to:

• Sugary spills (syrup, soft drinks, fruit)

• Greasy or protein-rich foods

• Pet food and food crumbs

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🏙️ Why Are They Even in High-Rises?

Ants can thrive in vertical environments because:

• They follow plumbing and wiring routes, even several floors up.

• They nest inside walls and foundations, often unnoticed.

• They’re opportunists: even a tiny crumb behind a cabinet can attract them.

• They cooperate in colonies, making them persistent and hard to eliminate.

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🚫 How to Prevent or Control Ants

1. Seal cracks and crevices around windows, doors, and baseboards.

2. Keep food sealed and clean up spills quickly.

3. Use ant baits near trails to disrupt the colony.

4. Remove standing water or moisture.

5. Inspect plants, packages, and groceries before bringing them in.

🧴 Natural Deterrents

Natural Repellent	How to Use	Effect
White vinegar spray	Mix 1:1 with water and     spray entry points	Erases pheromone trails
Lemon juice	Apply around doors, windows	Disrupts scent trails
Cinnamon    or clove oil	Dab on cotton balls near    ant trails	Strong scent repels ants
Peppermint oil	Mix with water and spray	Acts as a repellent and smells refreshing
Bay leaves	Place in pantry or cabinets	Natural food-safe deterrent

The battles to keep the ants at bay can be won with good housekeeping and deterrents.

While ants are a pest, we can learn self-determination from their diligence and resourcefulness.

Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.