Do Ants Actually Get Drunk on Alcohol? The Truth Revealed!

Ants exhibit intriguing and distinct behaviors in comparison to humans, yet there are intriguing parallels in their habits, often influenced by similar factors.

One fascinating aspect is that ants are not only capable of consuming alcohol but can also become intoxicated, experiencing a level of impairment akin to our own.

When ants partake in alcoholic indulgence, their functionality becomes notably askew, mirroring human experiences under the influence.

Inebriated ants often find themselves disoriented and perplexed, necessitating the intervention of their sober counterparts to provide assistance until the effects of their “hangover” subside.

Why do Ants Drink Alcohol?

Ants don’t drink alcohol just because they feel like it. They cannot walk into a bar and order some drinks. So how does this happens? Ants access their alcohol by rotting fruits, when they do this, the fruits get fermented, and alcohol is made.

When ants eat these fruits, they intake alcohol contained in them, and then they actually become drunk. Ants don’t necessarily do this on purpose. Humans nowadays do alcoholic drinks for recreation but ants on the other hand, when they consume fermented fruit, are just merely trying to survive.

Are Ants Attracted to Beer?

Beer does not attract ants by its taste, ants are attracted to spills on the floor. Those spills can be of juice, water, beer, or any other type of beverage. In a bar there can be a lot of beer spilled on the floor. To an ant who is just trying to hydrate itself and survive that spilled beer is good enough.

And once one ant finds that liquid on the floor, the others will follow to drink it too. That act doesn’t make ants entirely alcoholic, but they sure get drunk by it.

Does Beer Kill Ants?

Only a great quantity of beer will be able to kill ants by intoxication, that is also possible when a beer has higher alcohol content. Beers who clock higher percentages of ABV (alcohol by volume) are able to kill ants after drinking it. It doesn’t happen to 100% of them, but it can happen with smaller or weaker ants.

Does Beer Repel Ants?

You can use beer as a method to repel ants, but not the way you are thinking. Beer can repel ants either, by killing them with its ABV (alcohol by volume) or it may make them drunk around the drinking spot, and then you dispatch them there.

What Do Ants Drink Besides Alcohol?

Just like all the animals on planet earth, ants need to drink water to survive, additionally, they can get water from the food they consume. Ants are also able to drink other liquids such as juice, alcohol, and other household drinks. Sometimes ants can resort to drinking urine blood and other human and animal secretion in order to survive.

Are Ants Attracted to Drinks?

Like all living creatures, if ants are thirsty and there is no other liquid around, ants will be attracted to whatever it’s available. If it happens to be alcoholic drinks, they will take them. Ants cannot be luxury into thinking something else will appear. That’s why they consume, everything liquid opportunity appears in front of them.

Can an Ant Get Drunk?

If an ant eats any fermented fruit (rotten fruit) or drinks any spill coming from alcoholic beverages, it will get drunk. Usually, ants don’t do this on purpose, ants are opportunistic insects, so if a source of drink appears in front of them, it will be consumed.

Can Vodka Kill Ants?

Using a 3-to-1 solution of vodka to water, and spraying directly on ants, you will be able to kill them. After some time, the liquid will evaporate and only the dead ants will be on the spot. Please bear in mind, that the smell of vodka will also be very present for a few hours, keep the room ventilated and it will disappear.

Can Alcohol Kill Ants?

Rubbing alcohol can be deadly to ants, if you use a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water to spray on ants, they will die. It is a natural way to kill ants while avoiding pesticides. For people who have pets and small children, this is a great solution. The alcohol after a while will evaporate, leaving only the ants’ carcasses.

Does 70% Alcohol Kill Ants?

This kind of alcohol will kill ants too, you can make a mixture in under a few minutes. Just use the following.

  • rubbing alcohol (mixture 3-to-1)
  • water
  • spraying bottle

Spray it directly into the ant infestation, and they will end up dead. After evaporation is done, sweep the ants with a broom or vacuum them.

Why Does Alcohol Kill Ants?

The answer is very simple, the antiseptic nature of the rubbing alcohol is very toxic to insects like ants, and it will kill them on direct contact. Liquid alcohol is either concentrated in ethanol or isopropyl. When you spray rubbing alcohol directly on ants, it will dry them by burning their exoskeletons.

When they aren’t thirsty, ants can eat peculiar things like dandruff, check it out!

What if I Drank Ants Accidentally?

Ants primarily consist of protein and fat, while also being rich sources of essential minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. In the event of inadvertently ingesting an ant, your body efficiently breaks it down and digests it. Furthermore, this digestive process effectively eliminates any bacteria that may have accompanied the ant, resulting in no adverse consequences.

In short, even if you happen to swallow them unintentionally, the stomach’s acidic environment effortlessly dissolves ants, causing no harm or discomfort.

Conclusion

Observing the impact of alcohol on ants, whether through consumption or as a means of pest control, is undeniably intriguing.

You’ve now gained insights into the multifaceted roles and effects of alcohol in the ant world. If you found this information fascinating, please consider sharing this article with your friends to spread the knowledge.