How Do Ants Start a New Colony?

Typically, ants start a new colony when a new queen is born. The queen lays a number of eggs to feed the colony. She may also mate with a male. If she mates with a male, she will have no children of her own.

Depending on the species, the queen may or may not have wings. If she has wings, she will mate while flying. A few hours later, she will land and begin to search for a nest.

In some species, the new queen will leave the nest with workers to start a new colony. She will need workers to help her feed and care for the young. They will also work to spread the colony and look for food.

When a new queen is born, she will mate with a male ant. The mated ant will have wings and a pouch for storing male sperm. This pouch will be opened so that the eggs can be fertilized. The new queen will then cloister herself within the nest for several weeks.

The new queen will have a limited role in the colony. She will be responsible for producing the first set of workers and caring for the young. She will not mate with the male again.

The queen may also form satellite nests. These nests share workers with the main nest. This helps the colony expand rapidly.

Some queens can lay millions of eggs in a lifetime. This is a great benefit to the ecosystems, as the ants disperse seeds.