The little Ants that appear on the kitchen counter, seemingly out of nowhere, have achieved a kind of détente with the Human. They are so tiny you almost need a magnifying glass to see them at all. A microscope would be required to view the little gals in detail.
Because of their minuscule-itude, the truth is they’re very, very cute. I’ve taken to calling them “fairy ants.” A brief Google search for small-type ants raised little that seems to name or describe these little critters. There are some very small ants, but they neither look nor behave like fairy ants. These little critters don’t seem to be pharaoh ants. They could be crazy ants, which are described as 1/10 of an inch long, but they don’t behave the way crazy ants are said to behave. The most likely candidate is Monomorium minimum — “little black ant” — which is shown as 1/16 of an inch.
Interestingly, they don’t seem to swarm. They never appear in large numbers. A dozen raiding a speck of dropped food would be a lot.
They don’t bite. They don’t seem to want to defend themselves, their compatriots, or their food.
They’re not very interested in sweet stuff. They’re not at all interested in fruit. They don’t care about sugar.
They rarely march along in a line (although once in a while they will). Where they’re coming into the house is totally not obvious.
Just now they’re obsessed with any kind of grease or oil. They will clean a skiff of carelessly wiped-up olive oil off the counter faster than you can grab a rag to wipe it up. And a mini-microgram of dropped dog food? Ant mirabilis!! All ten of them will be over there trying to cut it up and haul it off.
At this rate, I may never have to clean the kitchen counter again…
In that taste — the seemingly exclusive craving for oil and protein — they are Antish. Ant colonies, we’re told, experience various communal nutritional needs as the seasons proceed. Sometimes they need carbohydrates and sugars. Sometimes they want meat. Sometimes they want oils. Summer seems to be Fat Season for fairy ants.
As long as the countertop is spotlessly clean, they stay away. They never go in the dishwasher. The only time they show up is when I’ve failed to clean the counter adequately.
And you know…that may be a good thing. The place could use some improvements in the housecleaning department.
Whatever they are, they’re a far cry from the Ant Queen’s aggressive amazons. Hmmm… It says here that these little gals (Monomorium minimum), who are native to North America, actually chase off some very obnoxious varieties of ants, notably the hated fire ants.
So I believe we’re declaring a permanent détente with the ladies. As long is the kitchen is kept clean (imagine that!), they’re not doing any harm. And, if they really have beat back the fearsome Ant Queen’s hordes, they may be doing a great deal of good.