How Do Ants Take Their Dead Away?
WouterUnlike human beings, ants do not have a formal graveyard. Instead, they use a “midden” to bury their dead. They build a midden for the purpose, and they use it to store food and rest. The “midden” also functions as a protective guard for the queen.
One of the most interesting things about ants is that they have a highly developed sense of smell. They can detect pheromones, which is a chemical that sends a signal to other ants. These pheromones are typically a fatty acid.
When an ant dies, its body releases a chemical called oleic acid, which ants react to by following a chemical trail. The pheromone chemical is supposed to alert other ants to the presence of a dead ant, or in this case, an ant’s body. In this way, the dead ant is recycled into nutrients for the rest of the colony.
Ants also use chemicals to detect when a comrade has died. This may not be the most interesting thing in the world, but it is nonetheless a fun fact. The ant may not even know that it is dead.
In some cases, ants will drag dead bees from hives, but this is not always the case. They will also carry off dead comrades from the hive, but this is not the same as a ritual.
Although the dead ant may have a large body, it is hardly something to carry around. The ant actually gets to the “ant graveyard” through a process called necroptosis, which involves the use of oleic acid.
