Take a moment to marvel at the complexity and perfection of a single thief ant. She is able to make a journey of dozens of meters over the most rough terrain with speed and efficiency. Could you cross a mountain range as effectively? No. You could not.

She collects enough food not just for herself, but enough to raise many more ants back in their nest. She is nearly blind, but never gets lost.

As an individual she is very weak, but larger insects will avoid these ants for a reason.

Like many Solenopsis, Solenopsis molesta has multiple queens. This isn't typical for ants in the wild and most species of ants have a single queen. But, species found in human environments tend to have multiple queens more often, I suspect since it makes it harder to destroy a colony.

These ants are not very fast moving, they are methodical, sensitive and very numerous.

They are sometimes confused with The pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis) who move much more quickly.

Ants found in association with humans are also less likely to be hostile to colonies of the same species, rather than fight, adjacent colonies may simply merge. (Pavement ants are a notable and conspicuous exception)

Human environments tend to be absurdly rich in food to the point where finding food isn't the primary problem most colonies face. Finding water and shelter and avoiding human intervention become bigger factors in survival.

Perhaps this is why intraspecies war is more rare.

The food richness of human environments is so extreme that when I'm in the park in NYC and want to attract ants, I never use sugar. NYC ants don't care about sugar. But they do get very excited about high quality insect protein. A crushed cricket or dubia will draw far more ants to observe than a bit of candy or even cake crumbs.

Thief ants are even more picky. They will eat sugar, but their diet is more focused on fat, a food many ants will avoid.

(insect protein is low fat generally)

The food richness of human environments is so extreme that when I'm in the park in NYC and want to attract ants, I never use sugar. NYC ants don't care about sugar. But they do get very excited about high quality insect protein. A crushed cricket or dubia will draw far more ants to observe than a bit of candy or even cake crumbs.

Thief ants are even more picky. They will eat sugar, but their diet is more focused on fat, a food many ants will avoid.

(insect protein is low fat generally)

When people want to get rid of insects I encourage them to stop and ask "why?"

It's true there are insects that can cause harm. But often the thing that has attracted the insects in large numbers is your real problem.

Carpenter ants? You may have rotten wooden beams, dry rot, water leaks. They didn't cause these problems. They live in rotting wood. That's their job.

Thief Ants? If they are conspicuous they have found unsealed grease and soon you will have rats too.

Fire Ants? Fire ants need sunlight & thrive on the disturbed margins of forests, they are not good at digging in soil with perennial plants, but love freshly plowed fields and lawns. In nature they are rare, but human "gardening" habits provide an ideal home for these ants.

Odorous House Ants? Again they must have a source of fresh water and these ants love crumbs and sugar from poorly stored human foods.

The unwanted ant arrives because we put up neon signs inviting them in. Then we get mad.

@futurebird Fire ants? You're living in a fire hazard. Thief ants? Public safety issues. Carpenter ants? Jesus...

@futurebird Fire ants? You're living in a fire hazard. Thief ants? Public safety issues. Carpenter ants? Jesus...

@rubinjoni @futurebird I just want to point out that carpenter ants still haven't built one thing for me and I'm very disappointed in them.

@rubinjoni@mastodon.social @futurebird@sauropods.win Don't worry, the carpenter ants are board certified! And they're union. Can't argue with unionization.

"What should I do to get rid of thief ants?"

Clean up the grease they are enjoying. Why do you have a pile of grease laying around? They are just trying to help you by cleaning it up. You could try to poison them, but they are very crafty & probably smarter than you.

Please remember ants are predators. In addition to annoying you by walking through your pantry they eat the eggs and young of the rest of the insects in your house.

Your house belongs to the bugs, there is nothing you can do.

@futurebird Remember folks, you can't ever put down enough poison to kill all the insects, but you can easily put down enough to harm yourself and your family!

@futurebird Remember folks, you can't ever put down enough poison to kill all the insects, but you can easily put down enough to harm yourself and your family!

@whknott

Nothing is ominous in the same way as being in a garden in the middle of summer and not hearing or seeing a single insect. I was once at a restaurant next to a golf course in CT and looked all around on their patio, in their (boring basic) flower beds. I couldn't even find a springtail or mite.

Sort of killed my appetite.

What did they do to kill EVERYTHING like that? It was a mild day in June! It had rained recently...

@whknott

And to anyone who thought "well but you don't understand I really don't like bugs" please think a little about what will happen as the poison wears off. It can't last forever. You blasted away every arthropod on your property and for a week maybe two you will see nothing, but by then the levels are low enough that the most hardy, most invasive, most persistent and fast multiplying bugs can move in. They get first dibs.

So you have to do it again.

And again.

@futurebird @whknott and the "pest control" company will sign you up for regular spraying!

@neckspike @whknott

Over the years you'll need to increase the frequency, and keep switching to more exotic and strange applications as eventually a few of the most hardy pest insects will manage to survive having some ability to tolerate the poisons. They have many lives to spend on this project. They will adapt. You and I have but ONE.

@futurebird This. I tell my son, when he wants to put poison on fruit flies, "You know they use fruit flies to test evolution, right?"

@neckspike

@neckspike @whknott

Over the years you'll need to increase the frequency, and keep switching to more exotic and strange applications as eventually a few of the most hardy pest insects will manage to survive having some ability to tolerate the poisons. They have many lives to spend on this project. They will adapt. You and I have but ONE.