Weaver Ants: The World’s Most Natural Pesticide
Conscripting ants into the war on pests
Our heavy reliance on pesticides remains a controversial issue to this day. As global demand for food rises, so too does our reliance on pesticides to keep pests at bay. However, many people worry that the harmful chemicals keeping these pests at bay will, whether in the long or short term, have negative effects on human health and the planet.
Luckily for us, as with many things, there is a more natural solution in some parts of the world — weaver ants.
Weaver Ants
Split into two separate species, Oecophylla longinoda (blue) and Oecophylla smaragdina (red), these ants are often simply referred to as weaver ants. The former is commonly found throughout much of central Africa, while the latter can be found across India, Southern China and down through Southeast Asia to the Northern Coasts of Australia.
Scientists have speculated that it was in China, as far back as 304 B.C, that weaver ants were first utilised as pest controllers and pesticide. Understanding how they do so require a little understanding of how the ants themselves operate first.
Weaver ants build their nests out of leaves and live a life high up in the canopy of the trees, off the ground where…
