How Cold Does It Have to Be For Ants to Die?
WouterDuring the winter, ants are not as active as they are in the summer. The ants will gather in large groups, and remain dormant. They will use the warmth in their nests to remain warm, and they will eat extra food to prepare for winter.
Ants have a longer lifespan than people think, and they can survive in temperatures as low as five degrees Celsius. However, extreme cold can kill them. Ants have evolved to survive extreme cold by entering a dormant state called diapause.
Hibernating ants also use an antifreeze-like substance called glycerol to prevent crystallization, which helps them survive cold weather. During diapause, the colony enters a dormant state and the queen stays warm. Some species of ants can survive for two to fifteen years.
Carpenter ants can also survive in cold weather because they are able to overwinter with their body fat. They also build their nests in moist wood and they can generate a substance called glycerol which acts as an antifreeze.
Carpenter ants have a special trait that allows them to survive in cold weather: They have an extra queen. The queen produces 300,000 eggs every few days. This keeps the colony alive even if some of the colonies die.
During the winter, ants will seek out a warm spot to hide. They will also seek out food. The queen ants will also protect the colony when it is hibernating. In winter, the ants will gather in groups to maintain the body heat.
