- When these nasty reddish ants bite, they squirt formic acid that is secreted from their abdomen into the wound, making it doubly painful. They do not have a stinger, thankfully.
- If the nest is disturbed, for example you have taken a stick and poked the nest, the thousands of ants residing inside will give a noisy warning by tapping on the leaves from within. That is your cue to get out of the area real quick.
3. The larvae of weaver ants are used as sewing machines for building the nest. Using living leaves, the worker ants pull the edges together. Each ant then holds a larva in their mandibles and gently squeezes it so that the larva produces silk.
The silk is used as glue to stick the edges of the leaves together, creating a ball of leaves which is their home.
4. Birds use ants that spray formic acid to kill mites living in their feathers. This includes the weaver ants. How do they do this? The birds pick up ants in their beaks and place them in their feathers.
5. In Thailand and the Philippines, weaver ant pupae are harvested and sold as food. They are said to have a creamy flavor. Adult ants are also eaten and have a lemony or sour taste.