Soil

• Ants live in groups called colonies, and some of which include millions of individuals. And colonies are mostly based under the ground and ants dig extensive networks of tiny tunnels through the soil. As part of the digging process dead and dying organic matter is recycled back into the ground, enriching the soil, aiding aeration and also helping water filtration. Ants are believed to improve more soil than earthworms.
  
  

Seed Dispersal

• Approximately 50 percent of herbaceous plants require the help of insects to disperse their seeds. Ants move a lot of organic material around as part of their daily activities, and consequently move the seeds away from area near the parent plant and into somewhere new. This is a relationship that benefits both the ants and the plants, because as the ants help with the reproduction of the plants, they are then rewarded with shelter and food.
  
  

Pollination

• Ants help with the pollination of flowers. Because ants enjoy sweet things, they will go right inside a flower to get at the nectar inside. This works in exactly the same way that bees pollinate flowers -- when the ant is collecting nectar the pollen brushes off onto its body and is in turn transferred onto the next flower.
  
  

Pest Control

• Although each species prefers different food, ants generally have a very varied diet. This includes vegetation, seeds, fruit, nectar, and insects (both dead and alive). Predatory species of ants help to control the population of other insects regarded as pests by eating both the insects and their eggs. Although ants can sometimes be regarded as pests by humans if they find a way into the house, they are very important when it comes to controlling numbers of other insects such as stinkbugs and crickets.