These little guys are usually the worst offenders. This is because when homeowners see little ants coming across their kitchens or termites silently eating away at wood, they are witnessing something that is much more complex than merely a pest infestation. These insects work on an epic scale, in organized societies that can cover areas bigger than many cities. Their colonies operate somewhat like ancient empires, with expert workers, complex communication networks, and an expansionist agenda for claiming territory.
At almost 2.5 million to one, the ratio of ants to people, their empire-building activities are not to be taken lightly by property owners. By understanding how these animals construct large networks, homeowners can identify threats before they become unmanageable and work to quickly react to them.
Explore now with our detailed guide on common pests that built empires and how you can save yourself from experiencing them in your own space too.
Which Pests Build Empires and How?
Ant Super colonies: The Ultimate Insect Empires
Ants build the greatest pest empires on the planet. These are supercolonies that extend across continents with billions of ants working as one. The colony was believed to include 306 million worker ants and one million queen ants living in 45,000 nests linked by underground passages across 2.7 km2 (670 acres). This is only one known supercolony, proving how vast in numbers these ants are.
Supercolonies, which extend from California to Europe, are pioneered by Argentine ants. They are able to do so by avoiding territoriality among kin colonies, in order to expand indefinitely and to share resources. Workers from different colonies collaborate perfectly, forging a single force that overrides local ant species and conquers whole environments.
Termite Colonies: Silent Empire Builders
Termites in their empires wage their stealthy and patient war. They build massive underground networks stretching hundreds of feet from their central nests. Unlike ants, which scour the surface, termites form subterranean shelters and mud tubes, enabling them to enter food sources without being observed.
A single termite nest may consist of millions of individuals in several castes. Workers are making constant forays to extend the reaches of the colony, while soldiers fend off intruders and reproductive termites to start satellite colonies. They are empire builders, and their process of expansion involves securing structures made of wood as well as cellulose materials (which includes human property).
Wasp and Bee Societies: Aerial Empire Expansion
Social wasps and social bees establish empires in the air that rule airspace above their territories. It is these flying insects that set up multiple nests and are capable of collecting in widely spaced sites. Paper wasps construct interconnected nest clusters; networks of hives are spun by some bee species.
Their style of empire construction is focused on two key pillars: aggressively defending space and mediating access to key resources. Scout workers find the best food and nest locations and then recruit hundreds of thousands of nestmates to take command. This synchronised expansion enables them to outcompete other insects and dominate valuable areas.
Taking Control: Professional Solutions for Pest Empires
People dealing with established pest empires require something a bit stronger than sprays and basic traps to win when it comes to bugs and rodents. These social insects have developed complex systems to survive the efforts of amateur control. Trained pest control professionals know the intricate social relationships and habits that make them the prolific pests they are.
It is only by diligent eradication of colonies that attack nests and queens that a successful system can be maintained. Successful elimination of empires will focus on destroying the breeding apartments and communication centers of the empires. Exterior services target the accessibility of the harborage areas, aiming to eradicate queen ants and reproductive termites and avoid the recolonization from satellite sites. This coverage is so comprehensive that the entire social structure, not just visible workers, can be evaluated.
