Seems like you are curious about what do black ants eat because you are an ant keeper or just being conscious about the diet of these common black ants. Anyway, it’s quite interesting to talk about.
Black ants usually eat sugar, honey, fruits, and sweet substances to obtain carbohydrates, meat, worms, dead insects, and bugs to obtain protein. Occasionally, lack ants consume some fats and fungus too.
Talking about black ants, there are a few different species of black ants. But I think you’re commonly seeing the small black ant and the black carpenter ant. We are going to see what these black ants eat and some other habitats of them.
Foods that black ants eat the most
Ants are omnivores, and they almost eat anything. So I thought I should categorize the food that black ants eat. Otherwise, I may have to include all the foods in the world 🙂
Sweet and sugary substances
As you certainly know, black ants and any other kind of ants give sweet and sugary substances the first place of their diet.
It’s because sugar and sweets produce Sucrose and Fructose which are some sort of carbohydrates that are easily absorbed by the body.
And it produces a quick boost of the energy that they require to work more efficiently in the colony.
The black ants that live inside your home mostly find the sugary foods from your kitchen. They may rely on,
- Kitchen sugar
- Ripened fruits
- Jelly
- Cookies
- Honey
- Syrups
to find sugar substances inside your home.
But when it comes to the outside world there is a different approach. It’s not that very easy for black ants to eat or find sugary foods outside a house.
Outside, black ants eat honeydew of aphids, nectar of flowers, and fruits to include the sugar and carbohydrates they require in their diet.
The way that ants are getting honeydew is interesting.
Ants are protecting the aphids from their predators. And in return, ants are taking the honeydew which is produced by Aphids.
Protein
Protein is a very timely nutrition that black ants eat within their diet. Like every other ant species, black ants are desperate for protein sources in their diet, in the season when the queen starts to lay eggs.
In this season black ants eat protein and store them on their social stomach particularly to feed the larvae which hatch from eggs.
If you are keeping ants in a formicarium or a tube, you can give them mealworms, Superworms, and crickets as they are a super form of protein sources that give you quick results.
Plus, black ants will also eat meat such as chicken, beef, pork, or even eggs to get protein.
Protein will help ants to explore the size of their colony, as well as make ants stronger by building and strengthening their muscles and mandibles
Live or Dead insects
Many ant species are brave enough to attack live insects for food. Black ants also do so. But not everyone.
Carpenter ants attack termites, flies, and bugs when they forage.
On the other hand, the common little black ants do not have strong enough mandibles or a sting to attack other insects.
So, they only eat dead insects. I have plenty enough experience for this reason.
Even now, while I’m writing this blog post for you, I hit a mosquito on my hand and killed it. Then I threw it on the floor.
Within a few minutes, a bunch of little black ants came out of nowhere. Then they carried the dead mosquito into their nest.
The main reason why these little black ants eat dead insects is to get the protein supplement they require. Because they are not the sort of ants that are aggressive.
Black ants may eat dead insects such as,
- Mosquitoes
- Beetles
- Flies
- Bugs
- Aphids
Fat and lipids
Have you ever known that ants eat fats and lipids?
Actually, they do care about every single nutrient they need to consume. Therefore, black ants eat fats and lipids on their diet.
In the process of working, ants burn the energy they have accumulated by eating Carbohydrates and protein. At that stage, their bodies can use the fats and lipids to burn further energy.
Black ants might eat peanut butter in your kitchen, or rarely you may find them eating the cooking oils.
They may also consume some sort of fats by eating mealworms, superworms, etc.
Fungus
I guess this is something new to you. Many ant species including black ants, eat fungus for a specific purpose.
The fungus actually helps ants break down the polymers of the leaves and the plants that ants eat.
The enzymes in an ant’s digestive system can not break down the polymers of the leaves.
What are the different black ant types?
There are a few different ant species that look black in color, and someone can commonly call them black ants. Here are some of them.
- Black garden ant
- Little black ant
- Black carpenter ant
- Lasius fuliginosus
- Silky ant
- Black imported fire ant
Out of these black ant species, the ‘little black ant’ and the ‘black carpenter ant’ are the ones that can be seen most commonly.
The little black ant is also the same as the black garden ant.
Do little black ants bite?
Little black ants are not dangerous as they do not bite or sting against humans. These little black ants have a sting, but it’s not big enough to attack.
But they are quite annoying because they run over our bodies. They can’t actually do something other than that.
Do black carpenter ants bite?
Black carpenter ants can bite and sting formic acid which can bring some pain for a short time in the infected area. Although it doesn’t impact severely, the skin can turn red and swollen after a bite or sting.
Do black carpenter ants eat wood?
Although black carpenter ants dig and chew through wood to build nests, they do not eat wood. Carpenter ants excavate and spit off the wood particles when they build a nest inside the wood.
FAQ
What do black ants drink?
Now we have already discussed what black ants eat. But what do black ants drink?
First up, black ants drink water as it is essential for any kind of living being.
Apart from that I have frequently seen black ants drinking nectar from flowers, which will provide a natural source of sugar.
Also, you can try giving some sugar water to black ants as they certainly enjoy it.
What do black ants hate?
Black ants hate to eat foods that emit strong odors. They are more likely to repel when they smell those odors.
- Peppermint
- Olive oil
- Lemon peels and juice
- Citronella oil
Also read: What do red ants hate?