How Long Do Ants Live Without Food?
WouterSeveral hundred different species of ants exist throughout the world. Some have a much longer life span than others, though all of them can survive for two to five days without food. Some can live up to a month without food.
These tiny creatures are considered members of the Arthropoda phylum. Their life span depends on the food they eat, the temperature of the environment, and the ant colony’s size. Queen ants have a higher life expectancy than workers, and can live for several decades.
Some workers can live for a couple of weeks without food, but eventually die due to dehydration. They can’t survive without proteins, carbohydrates, or fats for very long.
Ant colonies have a caste system. The queen is responsible for colony health. During famine, some workers stay at home. Their food is shared using mouth-to-mouth regurgitation. Other ants, such as worker ants, stay outside, where they gather food and lay down pheromone trails. They follow these trails with antennae to locate food.
Ant colonies have food stored in granaries. When weather is humid, these granaries will hold unused food. The amount of time stored food can last depends on the size of the colony. In some colonies, it can take up to eight months for the food to run out.
There are also species of ants that are able to live without food for several weeks. These are carpenter ants, which prefer to live in damaged wood. Carpenter ants also build elaborate tunnels in wood.
