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There are plenty of ants around at this time of year, particularly when the weather is very hot. Fascinating creatures, they work together to run an efficient social community.

The life of an ant is a busy one, as they each have their own job in the ant colony. As the "insect world's master architects", they are quite remarkable in the way in which they construct their home from scratch.

How long have ants existed?

Scientists have long believed that ants have existed for around 99 million years. However, a 2006 study suggested they may have been around as long as 168 million years ago.

As part of a large order of insects called Hymenoptera, which also includes bees, wasps and sawflies, early fossils have revealed primitive ants were likely to have been predators living under the soil.

A study in 1966 identified the fossilised remains of an ant belonging to the now extinct Sphecomyrma genus that lived during the Cretaceous period. With features not found in modern ants, the ground forager was trapped in amber dating back to 92 million years ago. Other ant specimens have been found in 99 million-year-old amber from Myanmar in south-east Asia.

How many types of ant are there in the world?

There are more than 10,000 types of ant recognised around the world - there may be even more that we haven't yet discovered. They are most prevalent in tropical rain forests, where they make up almost half the total insect population. In the UK, there are around 50 species of ant - as they prefer warmer climes, there are less in Europe.

The common black garden ant (Lasius Niger) is the most prevalent species in Britain. As its name suggests, it's the type that is found in most gardens. Another ant widely found in the UK is the wood ant, of the species Formica, whose homes are huge mounds built from pine needles and other woodland debris in forest clearings or on pathways. Their colony can contain more than 100,000 ants.

What’s the average age of an ant?

Ants can have a surprisingly long lifespan. Queen ants can live for up to 30 years! German entomologist Hermann Appel cared for a queen ant of the Lasius Niger species in captivity for 28 years and nine months. The queen of the Pogonomyrmex Owyheei species (a relative of the western harvester ant) also has a maximum lifespan of 30 years.

In the case of the worker ants, who keep the colony functional, their usual lifespan is one to three years. The male worker ants don't live as long as the females.

How many ants are there in a colony?

The number of ants in a colony can vary greatly between species, from just a dozen ants up to 100,000. In the case of the Lasius Niger black garden ant, the average size of a colony is between 4,000 and 7,000 ants, although on rare occasions, a colony can contain up to 40,000 workers.

Smaller colonies tend to live in natural crevices or openings, while the larger ones build massive nests out of whatever materials are available. Scientists say the average nest depth is seven feet, with around 100 chambers providing living space for 5,000 ants.

What roles do ants have?

Ants' roles within the colony create their own complex ecosystem. The queen ant is central, as she lays the eggs that keep the colony going. If the egg is fertilised, it becomes a male, whereas unfertilised eggs become females. Ordinary female worker ants are sterile and only the queen reproduces.

Worker ants do jobs that help the colony to survive. They have different roles, with some tending to the eggs, larvae and pupae at the various stages of development - they will clean the eggs and feed the larvae. Worker ants that feed the young seldom leave the nest.

Other workers go out to forage for food, leaving a kind of chemical trail behind when they go a long distance so they know what route to take back. Worker ants build the nest and as the colony grows, they make the nest bigger.

Is there a pecking order in each nest?

Ants live in highly structured colonies, where different members have different tasks. The queen heads the colony and lays thousands of eggs to ensure its survival. Queens are the largest ants and are much bigger than the workers.

Reproductive male ants who mate with the queen may die afterwards. They can be slightly larger than worker ants, with small heads and larger eyes. The wingless, sterile females never reproduce and are on the lowest rung in ant society. They care for the young and protect the colony.

What is an ant’s diet?

Ants are omnivorous – which means they will eat everything. In nature, their commonest food sources are the milk of aphids and other small bugs - known as Hemiptera. They eat insect eggs and just about any type of insect and small invertebrates, living or dead. They also feed off the sap of plants and eat various fruits.

When ants find their way into our home, they add a lot of other items to their menus such as meat, sweets, animal foods and fats. Ants can eat pretty much anything that people can! They also eat small insects inside our home.

How strong is an ant?

Ants are exceptionally strong and are also very fast. The average ant can carry an object up to 50 times its own body weight. It can also run at a speed of around 300 metres an hour. This represents a rate of almost 800 times its body length every minute - the equivalent to the average human carrying up to 4,500 kg, or 4.5 tonnes, over his head, while running at a speed of 83 km or 52 miles per hour!

Why do certain ants have wings?

When you see flying ants, it's because they have emerged from the colony when it's time for them to build a new colony and breed. Flying ants will include male ants and a number of larger females who have grown into sexually mature queens. The process is colloquially known as the ants' "nuptial flight". When the ants find the right spot, they land, their wings are discarded and they begin building their new home, which is built around the queen.

Flying ants can be spotted in swarms throughout the year. You will suddenly see hundreds of flying ants clinging to plants, gateposts, walls, or venturing inside your home through open windows and landing on curtains, windows and everywhere else. When they find a suitable spot to build their new colony, they stop flying around. When outdoors, they will seemingly disappear. They remain in hiding while they build the new underground nest.

Do ants hold a significant role in the ecosystem?

Ants play a vital role in the natural ecosystem. They turn and aerate the soil, which permits oxygen and water to reach plant roots. They take seeds into their underground colony to eat. These seeds can sprout and grow new plants.

Ants eat a wide variety of organic materials, including decaying plant and animal materials. They also provide food for many different organisms in the food chain.

Next time you see ants running around on the ground, rather than thinking of them as a pest, remember they are a small, thriving, self-contained community, which plays an important role in preserving the environment.

When you're out on a nature walk this summer, spare a thought for the thousands of tiny creatures that live on or under the ground, making the earth the beautiful place we enjoy today.