Ants have a narrow stalk joining the abdomen and thorax, and biting mouthparts (sometimes used for defense). Some ants have stings, and some can spray poison from the end of the abdomen. All ants show some degree of social organization; many nest in a system of tunnels in the soil, in constructed mounds, or in wood. Ant colonies usually include three castes: winged, fertile females; wingless, infertile females, or workers; and winged males.

Myrmica rubra

Ants leave a long-lasting invisible chemical trail known as pheromones for the rest of the colony to follow once they locate the food source.

Ants can nest about anywhere in and around your home; in lawns, walls, stumps, even under foundations.

Some ants dine on plant juices, leaves, seeds and fungus, others eat insects, and of course, you are probably familiar with those that scrounge your crumbs at picnics! Some ants actually act like farmers, "herding and milking" aphids (another kind of insect)the way a farmer milks a cow. The aphids give off droplets of a sweet liquid called honeydew that the ant quickly licks up.

Different kinds of ants are found everywhere on land except the polar regions. Our most common ants live in underground burrows and rotting wood.

Ants are social insects which means that they live in a colony with thousands of other ants, working together and relying on each other. Ants are divided into queens, males and workers (sterile females). There is usually just one queen per colony (although some species will have more than one) and it is her job to lay all the eggs. The workers do all the chores in the colony, including cleaning, nursing the young, feeding the queen and defending the colony

from danger. Every fall a group of ants with wings is born. These are new queens and males. They leave the colony and mate. The males die soon after mating