Maybe we are late in the universe, perhaps universe used to be a lively and vibrant place homing millions of civilizations. Now, we stand as the last remnants, hence, possibly the most advanced.
I have to believe that we have but that we got no response. Even though ants are very glad for human made structures, and even though we interact with them very regullarly it is hard to say if they are aware of our existence
We do! Ants have been involved in millions of experiments, and that is how we know so much of their society and entomology. We CAN communicate with them using pheromones and food sources. It’s actually quite simple, really. They just don’t have much to say beyond what we observe. It’s not like we suddenly start seeing unique chemical trails so they can communicate with their overlords, so I suppose they don’t perceive us as other beings in the world.
Many children have introduced themselves to ants as a world ending monster. Magnifying glass and sunlight, burning wax, burning rubber, gasoline and fire, Raid... There are lots of ways that children can be the apocalypse for an ant colony.