Ants are social insects that live in colonies that are usually consisted of three groups: the worker ants, the queen, and the males. Most of the ants you see are the workers, which are sterile females. The workers are responsible for gathering food, feeding the brood and queen, and defending the nest. Members of the brood (immature ants) are usually whitish in color and resemble fly maggots. Most ant species produce winged males and females only during certain times of the year. These winged ants, that are also known as swarmers, leave the nest to mate and start new colonies. After mating, the males die and the females become queens and search for suitable locations to start new colonies. Once a new location is found, the queen sheds her wings and starts laying eggs. The queen will take care of the larvae until they become pupae. Within a few weeks, the pupae will become adult worker ants and they will take over the job of taking care of the brood.