Caffeine Improves Learning in Argentine Ants and May Enhance Bait-Based Pest Control

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:11:00 +0200

A recent study published in iScience explores how caffeine affects the behavior and learning ability of Argentine ants, an invasive species known for its global ecological and economic impact. Researchers found that when ants consumed sugar solutions containing low to moderate doses of caffeine, they became significantly more efficient at locating food sources. Importantly, this improvement was not due to increased speed but rather to better navigation: the ants took straighter, more direct paths and showed signs of enhanced spatial memory.

In controlled laboratory experiments, 142 ants were tested across multiple trials using varying caffeine concentrations. Ants exposed to moderate caffeine levels reduced their foraging time by up to 38 percent, demonstrating faster learning of the reward location compared to ants given sugar alone. However, very high doses did not produce the same benefits and may be harmful.

The findings suggest that caffeine enhances cognitive function in ants i