What do ants eat?

Have you ever wondered why there are so many ants on Earth? That's a tough question to answer, but it could have something to do with their appetite. They thrive by eating almost anything you can think of that is plant- or animal-based.

Here are some ant facts that may surprise you. Approximately 1.2 billion ants exist on Earth for every human. The total weight of ants on Earth is estimated to be 3 trillion tons. The total weight of all humans is about 350 million tons. It is believed that ants existed as far back in time as the late Jurassic Period. That means they survived whatever caused the dinosaurs to go extinct.

My research shows that there are about 22,000 species of ants on Earth. Here is a list of some things that ants eat -- insects, fruit, cat food, tree sap, baked goods, dead animals, pizza, bbq sauce, spilled milk, beer. Can you add other things?

The ant I photographed here has caught a small cutworm.