Given a choice between hot and dry or hot and sticky, ants will take the second option every time.

In a CBC News story on Monday, U of G Prof. Alex Smith, Department of Integrative Biology, said hot, dry weather can cause ants to shrivel up and die.

Ants thrive on muggy conditions, which is why you’ll see more of them, including in your home, when the humidity is high. Damp weather is invigorating for ants and is an opportunity for them to come out of hiding and find food.

In the story, Smith offers tips on preventing ant infestations and warns about carpenter ants, a species that will take up permanent lodging in your home if you’re not careful.

Smith’s research seeks to understand the distribution of diverse species of insects across major ecological gradients in tropical and temperate environments.