As much as ants are a pest, they can be intriguing creatures. And when it comes to team work, there are some fascinating facts about ants working together. They really are an incredibly intelligent insect.
Understanding how ants work together might even help you prevent an ant problem. If you have seen ants in your home, considering their behaviours could play a part in deciding which pest solution to put in place.
Take Our First Fact For Example
Knowing that a colony will send a scout ant to assess an environment is useful. Foraging ants go out on scouting missions to find nesting sites or food sources. This is normally the reason for one solitary ant in your house. The scout ant will leave a chemical trail around your home. This shows other ants where to go when looking for a reliable food source. You might want to deal with that single ant before it has the chance to report back to its friends.
More Facts About Ants Working Together
Ants can be found on almost every continent, in every country around the world. With over 1000 ant species that we know of, it’s no surprise that there are so many amazing facts about ants working together. We have only just covered a few here.
Ants will mentor and teach other ants
Second on our list of amazing facts about ants working together is their ability to teach. Ants are very much akin to us, primates and other species who have a high intellect. They pass on information from teacher to student through observation.
There are a lot of animals out there that learn how to behave by imitating others. However, the interesting thing about ants, is that they use pheromones to teach. These chemical signals trigger responses in other ants of their species, showing them how to behave.
Ants run their colony like a business
Our next fact concerns the way ants operate. Ants work closely together as a group. Their society is set out in a hierarchical structure. Every ant has its own place and job within the colony. This could be anywhere from a queen to a lowly drone. Their social position even changes as an ant gets older. As an ant ages, their job becomes gradually more distant from the queen and the hub of the colony.
Ants are very efficient farmers
Ants are the only other creatures on earth apart from us that can actually farm. However, instead of cows, they harvest and milk aphids. Ants will raise these insects as livestock, much the same as we raise cattle. Their livestock is provided with nests so that they will survive. Ants will protect their herd from other predators, and shelter them rainfall as well.
There are waterproof ants
Ants are known for their ability to float. Fire ants have taken this a step further with an incredible ability – to build a living lifeboat. They don’t need to use any sort of building supplies for this. They actual build the lifeboat out of linking their bodies together as a large group. This is how they survive during heavy rainfall and flooding. Ants can survive for long periods of time when they find themselves in water. Even if an ant goes underwater, it will still survive.
Ants are incredibly strong
Just one ant can carry objects that are 10-50 times their own body weight. This actually makes the ant the strongest creature in the world compared to how small they are. Imagine, then, what they can achieve as a unit. Ants will coordinate with one another, carrying things as large and heavy as a dead lizard when working as a team.
If This Smart Insect Becomes A Problem?
Ants truly are intelligent and resourceful in the way they behave and work together. But, that doesn’t meant they aren’t a common pest for UK homes and businesses. Ants can have a negative effect on our properties, and it’s important to be aware of what damage they can do. However smart they may be, you should always strive to prevent and control ants.
To learn more about effective London ant control, get in touch with Empire today. Our team is fully trained and ready to talk you through the best ant prevention tips ready for spring.
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