

But ants have smooth pads with hair as a backup grip only.įor people seeking a pest control solution, you can use store-bought insect repellant sprays.Ĭhoose an ant repelling surface spray that stays on surfaces for a long time. For those insects, they use what we call “hairy pads” because they have so many more hairs. Other types of insects like ants use the thousands of tiny hairs on their feet to grip into even the tiniest gaps in walls. Usually, as the ant climbs, it will use suction caps to hold on, then the hairs as a back-up to hold them there, almost like a hand-break. Hairs on FeetĪnts use the hairs on their feet to hold on, but the suction caps do most of the work. Related Article: 7 Ingenious Ways Ants Survive the Rain 3. Every step, that pad needs to come unstuck so the ant can move his foot forward as he climbs (and yep, all worker ants are male!) He’ll hammer that pick into and around rocks and ice to get a grip as he climbs the frozen waterfall.īut the claws can serve another purpose, too.Īn ant’s claws can be used to help unpeel that adhesive pad from the wall.

It’s a bit like an ice climber with his big pick. They sit at the back of the front foot facing forward. So, they can get a good sharp grip on surfaces. The ants’ claws are really quite big relative to their size. On rough surfaces, ants can use special claws on the back of each foot to grip onto the surface.
