# What Do Ants Eat?

> What ants eat: Omnivore (varies by species), foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Almost everywhere except the far poles.

- **Species:** Ant (*Formicidae*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Omnivore (varies by species)
- **Habitat:** Almost everywhere except the far poles
- **Lifespan:** Workers weeks to a year; queens up to 15+ years
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/ant/what-do-ant-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/ant/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

Ants are small social insects of the family Formicidae, found almost everywhere on Earth except the far polar regions. Ranging from 1 to 13 mm depending on species, they live in highly organised colonies of dozens to millions of individuals, each with a queen, workers, and cooperative roles. Famous for their strength and teamwork, ants can lift many times their own body weight and are one of the most successful animal groups on the planet.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Colony life and castes

Ants are among the most social of all insects, living in colonies built around a strict division of labour. A colony centres on one or more egg-laying queens, supported by large numbers of sterile female workers who forage, build, and care for the young. Males exist mainly to mate, and a single colony can range from just a few dozen ants to several million. This teamwork lets a colony behave almost like a single organism.

## Help protect the Ant

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/ant/what-do-ant-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.