A study by Arizona state university showed that the small-bodied structure of ants gives them the power to have superhuman strength. As crazy as it might seem, ants have been found to have a fascinating ability to do amazing things with their resilience and grit. Can ants eat through plastic?
Ants can eat through a lot of things, including plastic. Plastic has no nutritional value, but that will not stop them from chewing their way through it. Once ants sense edible food or sugar in the plastic, they will use their hooked solid claws and saw-like mandible to chew through the plastic to get to the food.
Having over 10,000 known different species of ants, it is easy to assume that only a few of them can eat through plastic. We shall look at a few of the most common ants to see how far they can go on eating through the plastic.
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How Do Ants Eat Through Plastic
Ants are small-bodied insects, and looking at their body and jaw structure, it is understandable to underestimate their ability to eat through things.
On the contrary, ants are among few insects with high resilience and commitment in anything they focus on. Ants can eat through more than just plastic.
Proof has it that ants can eat through concrete, wood, and even some hardened plastic. In the recent past, ants have been said to cause as much trouble as causing a car not to start and halt electronics after chewing through electric cable insulators.
The greatest fascination of ants eating plastic is how they do it. With the strength that these little critters pose, a plastic bottle or bag of sugar is no match for them.
It can tear through it with urgency to get to the sugar before it carries it home. But have you seen those holes that ants make through a plastic bag?
How exactly do they make such a precise opening so perfect as if it was drilled?
Ants are attracted to sugar, and whenever they smell it, mostly in bags that are not airtight, they pierce through them to reach the sugar.
Once they are attracted to the sugar, they will bring a whole colony and climb over the plastic bag using their hooked solid claws. Once they get there, they use their saw-like mandible to chew through the plastic.
Can Black Ants Eat Through Plastic
Black ants, commonly referred to as tiny black ants, are primarily found in households. Tiny black ants are omnivorous and will feed on food droppings, other insects, sweet honeydew, vegetables, and plant secretion.
A typical house is like a utopia to these tiny creatures that provide all the diet they need for their survival.
Most of the time, you will find black ants crawling in slow traffic, probably on the way to ruin your next package. You will find them in bathrooms or water sinks in quest of water.
When it comes to their hunt for food, don’t be fooled by their tiny size and docile moves and underestimate how much damage they can cause.
When they get attracted to food of any kind, they will trail to the prey, and nothing will stop them from getting the sugar, not even a plastic bag.
It is essential to know that ants are attracted to the pantry by the scent of sweets or other food. However, food in airtight containers or plastic bags can keep them away.
Can Carpenter Ants Eat Through Plastic
Carpenter ants are large species of ants primarily found in parts of the world with deep forests. The standard color of carpenter ants is black, but they can range from black to brown, red, or orange depending on the colony.
As among the most prominent species, Carpenter ants have solid mandibles and can chew through several hard stuff, including concrete, wood, plastic, and even silicon.
They will not eat through these hard surfaces out of spite. They will eat through them if it blocks them from the food. Carpenter ants will eat through wood, making tunnels and chambers to find a new home.
These tinny creatures are so neat that they keep their chambers clean by removing dead and unwanted materials out.
When attracted to the scent of food, carpenter ants will eat through plastic to reach their food sources.
Can Ants Chew Through Plastic Bottles
Some species of ants can chew through different hard materials, even harder than a plastic bottle.
However, something worth noting is that ants don’t eat all these surfaces and don’t chew them out of spite. Ants will only chew through plastic or wood if they want to tunnel through to make chambers or to reach their food.
Considering how strong their mandibles are, a plastic bottle is a walk in the park for them if it hinders them from reaching their food sources.
Can Ants Eat Through Hardened Plastic
Ants are built differently, and not all are as strong. Some ants can chew through rigid surfaces while others can’t.
Drilling a tunnel through wood is not an easy task for an insect that small. But can ants chew through hardened plastic?
Depending on how you classify them, some ants have been known to chew through plastic pipes.
Helpful Tips To Know About Ants Eating Plastic
Here are a few tips to know about ants eating plastic.
- Ants don’t eat the plastic. They only eat through the plastic.
- Ants can’t smell through plastic. Keep your food storage airtight to keep them away.
- Some species of ants have been said to be attracted to electricity cable plastic coating.
- Almost all species of ants can eat through light plastic, like plastic bags.
- Keeping plastic storage clean can keep ants from chewing through them.
Final Thoughts
Ants can chew through plastic, that is for sure. Ants are tiny, but when it comes to keeping the colony alive in hunting and making homes, plastic is no match to them.
However, ants don’t eat plastic, and they don’t just chew plastic out of spite. Ants will only chew through plastic if food sources are on the other side of the plastic.
Keeping plastic storage clean and airtight to prevent any scent of sweet or food from attracting ants will keep them away.