How Many Ants Are in a Colony?
WouterDepending on the species, the number of ants in an ant colony can range from a few hundred to several thousand. This is dependent on several factors including local conditions.
Species that live in cold areas tend to huddle together and build burrows. These types of ants will die off slowly in the winter.
The average size of an ant colony can range from 20,000 to 100,000 ants. Some species are capable of forming supercolonies. These colonies can contain thousands of workers and millions of ants.
Supercolonies can be very large and extend over a great distance. They are made up of many different ant colonies that come together to solve difficult problems. Some species can form supercolonies that contain billions of ants.
In some species, colonies are built on top of mounds called fire ant hills. These are huge underground structures that look small. The top of the mound is the actual nest, and it is composed of a huge number of ants.
Colonies are generally composed of queens, drones, workers and warriors. Workers are the ones who take care of the brood, as well as the queen. The younger workers tend to the nest and the older workers defend the nest against enemies.
The queen lays eggs to start a new colony. These eggs are then fertilized with sperm. The queen stores the sperm in a pouch in her abdomen. The worker ants then construct the queen’s nest.
