Habitat

     Thief ants live in colonies smaller than the average colony size of ants (Texas A&M University, 2010). There are normally about 100-1000 ants in a colony of thief ants (Smith, 1965). Not only is the species Solenopsis molesta found in Wisconsin, it is native to the United States and therefore can be found throughout the country (Texas A&M University, 2010). For example, a handful of states that thief ants can also be found in include Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Washington (BugGuide, 2013).
    They can nest in a wide variety of environments because they are extremely adaptive. Some examples of places that Thief ants nest in are; top soil, bricks, stone, decaying matter and in the structures of homes (Texas A&M University, 2010). It is common for the thief ants to live in homes because they possess the ability to nest in the framework of the house. They are likely to make nests in houses to escape hot weather (Texas A&M University, 2010).Nests are often difficult to locate for the thief ants because they have small opening and are often located under rocks (McColloch, 1916). The thief ant use their small size to their advantage even when it comes to nests. For example, the chambers in the nests are connected by small galleries that only the thief ants can fit through. This prevents other large intruders from having access to all the chambers of the nest (McColloch and Hayes, 1916).
    One benefit of having this species within other populations is that they attack many unwanted species (Hayes, 1920). Find out which ones in our section on interactions section. It has been observed that during cold temperatures most ants stay together for warmth. During cold months they are often found underneath the ground and stay in lower areas for the whole winter (Hayes, 1920).
    The thief ants have often been reported in past due to their tendency to damage crops. For example, there are reports or these ants eating the inside of corn to access the oils from the kernel (McColloch and Hayes, 1916). The corn often looks untouched on the outside but due to the infestation of these ants it has a huge impact on all the farmers crops. Other crops that the thief ants infest include apples, plums and other vegetation (McColloch and Hayes, 1916).

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