How Do Ants Protect Their Queen?
WouterDuring a colony’s lifetime, the queen lays millions of eggs. The queen is the “head of household”. Her job is to make sure the colony’s survival and growth. It is through the queen that the colony produces new workers.
The queen’s job is also to protect her colony. The queen is protected by a mass of soldier ants who surround her. They protect the queen with their lives. Whenever an ant queen is killed, the colony will not produce new workers.
A queen’s diet is important. She needs protein rich foods to survive. She also breaks down the muscles on her wings to get nutrition. The queen ants can live from ten to thirty years.
The queen’s genes are passed on more efficiently than other members of the colony. This makes the queen a literal birth mother for the rest of the colony. She also uses energy from fat stores. Normally, the queen is the most protected colony member.
Some ant colonies have multiple queens. This is beneficial because it increases the chances of a colony surviving its first year. A colony that has multiple queens can also be attacked by other ants. If one queen dies, the other queens will take over. However, if the queen dies, the colony will not lay eggs.
Ants also have the largest brains of any insect. Their entire colony has as many brain cells as a human being. They are able to take in more nutrients and absorb more information than other insects.
