![]() While red harvester ants are known to dwell primarily outdoors, winged ants can accidently invade homes during swarming periods. ![]() Red harvester ants participate in "hill-topping," gathering around prominent points within a landscape - such as tall trees, chimneys and towers - while searching for mates. For this reason, it is common to witness large numbers of winged ants appearing in one area. The swarming behavior of red harvester ants is commonly synchronized with nearby colonies. Red harvester ant mating swarms take place within a single day. Although mating swarms occur between June and October, they are most common in the months of August and September. Red harvester ants are most active in warm temperatures, and mating swarms typically occur in the afternoon after rainfall or heavy storms. Red harvester ant mating swarms occur annually in warm environments and at elevated heights. After mating, the mated females shed their wings and establish new nesting sites. They are attracted to each other by pheromones. Red harvester ants can be quite devastating, so it's important not to try and treat it yourself, especially because you need special treatment for them due to their size alone. The fertilized females establish new colonies and become queens.ĭuring red harvester ant mating swarms, winged males and females emerge from their colonies. Step 1: Identify the Ants The first step is to identify the type of ant that you are dealing with. Male ants exist for the sole purpose of reproduction and die soon after mating. Worker ants are sterile females who forage for food and perform routine colony maintenance as their primary responsibilities. Red harvester ants are common and not endangered.Like other ant species, red harvester ants are divided into castes within their colonies. Worker ants produced by the queen ant begin caring for other developing ants, enlarge the nest and forage for food. Larvae are white and legless, shaped like a crookneck squash with a small distinct head. Larvae hatch from eggs and developed through several stages (instars). After dropping her wings, the queen ant digs a burrow and produces a few eggs. Males soon die and females seek a suitable nesting site. Winged males and females swarm, pair and mate. In the evening, a few Pogonomyrmex barbatus workers will usually seal the nest entrance with gravel and twigs to keep nighttime intruders out of the nest. Their sting is quite painful and best avoided. Harvester ants often selectively forage seeds, causing these ants to be viewed as pests in agricultural areas where they may forage on crop seeds. They have a powerful sting which they are not shy about using. The main food source for red harvester ants usually consists of seeds, which they hoard in great numbers, hence their name. harvester ant, any of several different genera of ants ( e.g., Messor, Atta, Pheidole, Pogonomyrmex) that gather seeds and leaves. Red harvester ants are common in the southwest United States. Winged males and female swarmers are larger than worker ants. They have square heads and no spines on their bodies. Workers of the red harvester ant colonies have long bodies, 1/4 to 1/2-inch long, and range in color from red to dark brown. Red harvester ants are often mistaken for fire ants, but are not related to any fire ant species, native or introduced.
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