{"id":8599,"date":"2024-05-11T18:32:09","date_gmt":"2024-05-11T18:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dedpest.gr\/?page_id=8599"},"modified":"2024-06-01T17:54:44","modified_gmt":"2024-06-01T17:54:44","slug":"%ce%bc%cf%85%cf%81%ce%bc%ce%ae%ce%b3%ce%ba%ce%b9%ce%b1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dedpest.gr\/en\/parasita\/%ce%bc%cf%85%cf%81%ce%bc%ce%ae%ce%b3%ce%ba%ce%b9%ce%b1\/","title":{"rendered":"Ants"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0 \u00a0 Ants<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnts are social insects of the family Formicidae and, together with wasps and bees, form the order Hymenoptera. There are an estimated 22,000 species, of which more than 12,500 have been classified. They are easily distinguished by their articulated antennae and the characteristic structure of their body, as its segments are joined by small joints and their waist is particularly thin. Ants form colonies ranging in size from a few dozen predators living in small natural cavities to highly organized societies covering large areas and consisting of millions of members. The largest colonies are composed mainly of sterile wingless females that form "worker" classes, "soldier" classes, or other specialized groups. Almost all ant colonies have some fertile males called drones and one or more fertile females called queens. Colonies are sometimes described as superorganisms because the ants seem to behave as a single entity, working collectively to support the colony. Ants thrive in almost all ecosystems, and constitute perhaps 15-25% of the biomass of land animals. Their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social organization and their ability to modify habitats, exploit resources, and defend themselves. Their long-term parallel evolutionary history with other species has created mimicry, symbiotic, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBiology\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The life cycle of ants begins with the queen laying eggs, from which larvae hatch. The larvae gradually transform into pupae and finally into adult ants. The queen, the largest ant, remains inside the nest where the larvae are also kept at the top to benefit from the heat.<\/p>

Every year during the summer months, the new, winged, adolescent queens fly out of the nest, followed by other ants, to establish new colonies. The nests contain large stores of food for the winter and can reach a depth of 3 meters.<\/p>

Ants have a variety of amazing behaviors, such as creating graveyards, cultivating fungi for food, walking over water or poisons with special techniques. They can poison trees to build nests, and raise honeydew for a nutritious liquid that the ants and their larvae drink.<\/p>

The main types<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ant<\/strong> of<\/strong> Pharaoh<\/strong> (Monomorium pharaonis). <\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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These are small ants with the workers being 1.5-2 cm long and brownish-yellow in color, while the queens are larger (3.6-5 cm) with a dark red color and wings, although they cannot fly.<\/p>

Due to their requirements for warmth and humidity, they often grow inside buildings. They pose a serious health risk as they feed in unsanitary environments and can carry pathogenic microorganisms, especially in hospitals.<\/p>

They have multiple queens per nest and workers can establish peripheral colonies if the main one is threatened. Their life cycle lasts 38-45 days. A queen can lay 400+ eggs in her lifetime, usually 10-12 per batch initially and fewer later.<\/p>

Overall, it is a particularly aggressive and difficult to combat invasion due to their high reproductive capacity and ability to establish multiple colonies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Black ant (Lasius niger). <\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    • Keep food well packaged and sealed in glass containers\/jars, as ants invade in search of food.<\/li>
    • Keep kitchen surfaces clean and free of food residue after cooking.<\/li>
    • Remove sources of water\/moisture that could attract ants to the house.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>

      In other words, prevention focuses on removing the resources that ants seek (food, water) and maintaining basic conditions of cleanliness and dryness in the home.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      The basic prevention measures are:<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      These are larger ants than the Pharaoh ant, with the workers being 2-5 cm long and dark brown\/black in color, while the queens reach 12 cm and have a brown hue.<\/p>

      Black ants build outdoor nests in walls, under paving stones, etc. They travel long distances for food\/water and often invade homes, where control is only required if they become a serious indoor problem.<\/p>

      Their life cycle lasts 50-70 days. A colony usually has one queen and about 5,000 members. The queen can live up to 12 years.<\/p>

      Compared to the Pharaoh ant, the black ant is larger, has fewer queens per colony, and has a longer life cycle, but does not pose as serious a threat domestically unless infestations become massive.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Natural ways to repel and combat ants.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Use aromatic plants such as lavender, oregano, bay leaf, mint \u2013 either dried leaves at ant entry points or planted in the garden\/pots.<\/p>

      Using vinegar \u2013 spraying around doors\/entry areas or placing vinegar with honey in a bowl.<\/p>

      Using baking soda with lemon juice near anthills.<\/p>

      Cinnamon in areas where ants appear.<\/p>

      Carnation around pet saucers.<\/p>

      Drawing chalk lines at ant passage points.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Chemical methods of control.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Direct spraying of insecticide on the nests.
      Residual spraying with insecticides in areas where they circulate.
      Application of special non-toxic anticidal gels.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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      \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u039c\u03c5\u03c1\u03bc\u03ae\u03b3\u03ba\u03b9\u03b1 \u03a4\u03b1 \u03bc\u03c5\u03c1\u03bc\u03ae\u03b3\u03ba\u03b9\u03b1 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03ba\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd\u03b9\u03ba\u03ac \u03ad\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1 \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03bf\u03b9\u03ba\u03bf\u03b3\u03ad\u03bd\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1\u03c2 Formicidae (\u039c\u03c5\u03c1\u03bc\u03b7\u03b3\u03ba\u03af\u03b4\u03b5\u03c2) \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03bc\u03b1\u03b6\u03af \u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c6\u03ae\u03ba\u03b5\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03bc\u03ad\u03bb\u03b9\u03c3\u03c3\u03b5\u03c2, \u03b1\u03c0\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5\u03bb\u03bf\u03cd\u03bd \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03c4\u03ac\u03be\u03b7 \u03a5\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03cc\u03c0\u03c4\u03b5\u03c1\u03b1. \u03a5\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bf\u03b3\u03af\u03b6\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03cc\u03c4\u03b9 \u03c5\u03c0\u03ac\u03c1\u03c7\u03bf\u03c5\u03bd 22.000 \u03b5\u03af\u03b4\u03b7 \u03b1\u03c0\u03cc \u03c4\u03b1 \u03bf\u03c0\u03bf\u03af\u03b1 \u03ad\u03c7\u03bf\u03c5\u03bd \u03c4\u03b1\u03be\u03b9\u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03b7\u03b8\u03b5\u03af \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c3\u03cc\u03c4\u03b5\u03c1\u03b1 \u03b1\u03c0\u03cc 12.500. \u0394\u03b9\u03b1\u03ba\u03c1\u03af\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b5\u03cd\u03ba\u03bf\u03bb\u03b1 \u03b1\u03c0\u03cc \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b1\u03c1\u03b8\u03c1\u03c9\u03c4\u03ad\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b5\u03c1\u03b1\u03af\u03b5\u03c2…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":5823,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8599","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-parasita"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t