Ermones^® Pest Management
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Black Ant or Garden Ant - Lasius Niger - Family: Formicidae

Habit

Temperate species living in soil or in association with dwellings. Form nests in gardens, under paving stones, in foundations or occasionally within buildings. one queen per nest. Workers very active foraging on wide range of foods including sweet substances, seeds, insects and aphid secretions 'honey dew'. Nests may survive for many years but new ones are started each year by new queens leaving the nest as 'flying ants'.

Biology

Egg - larva - pupa -adult
Eggs - laid by queen
Larvae - legless grubs fed by workers, full grown in about 3 weeks.
Pupae - develop in 2 weeks, guarded by workers
Adults - workers dark brown/black, 3-5 mm long. Queens winged at first, 12mm long and live for several years

The formation of a new social colony of black ants starts with a mated winged female ant digging into the earth to produce a small cell. She lays a variable and eventually large number of white eggs which hatch after 3-4 weeks into white legless grubs. the female feeds them on nourishing secretions from her salivary glands. After about 3 weeks the larvae are mature and pupate within the cell. It usually takes less than 2 weeks for the adult ants to emerge from the pupae and this first generation will be entirely composed of workers.

Importance

Foraging workers a nuisance but not normally a health risk. They guard aphids which damage garden plants. Sexual forms, 'flying ants', may emerge in large numbers close to or inside houses.

Distribution and Habitat

Commonly found in many parts of the world. Occurs with great frequency throughout Cyprus and frequently close to and in association with man's dwellings. The species has a well-defined social structure, and catholic tastes. it is usually the sexually-infertile females, the workers, which are seen away from the nest. The species is seldom more than nuisance in buildings.