White Footed Ant
White Footed Ants are more a nuisance than apest | How to eradicate White Footed Ants?
Classification
Species category: Ant Scientific name: Technomyrmex Albipes
Family: Formicaide
Description
A small, dull, and cloudy-black coloured ant which canreach up to 3mm in length during adulthood. It isdistinguished by the pale colouration on all of its tarsiand antennae which are a whitish-yellow colour. Unlikethe Common Black Ant, it features a single petiolarnode which is hidden and has 12 antennal segments.
Present all across Australia and in many parts of the world, these ants are native to tropical Asia. Nests are more commonly located outdoors and there are often additional nests in close proximity.These new nests are created by the process of budding, where a selection of male and femaleants leave the original nest and start a new colony. Nests can be found in trees, shrubs or anywhere that will accommodate a group of ants includingbrick voids and behind fascias.
Behavior
These social ants are known to create incredibly large colonies that have a range of queens. Their reproduction potential is phenomenal due to the multiple fertile members of the colony. Some colony sizes are estimated at tens, even hundreds of thousands. The White-Footed Ant is not a biting insect and primarily exists on sugary foods, particularly honeydew and occasionally proteins. Workers from this trailing species are very prevalent when foraging, as they can exist in large numbers.
Risks
Seen more as a nuisance rather than a pest, these ants are troublesome because of their largecolonies and constant foraging in kitchens, bathrooms and the exteriors of buildings.