When Do Ants Die Off?
WouterBesides having a lifespan of two to fifteen years, ants are also very social creatures. Ants use sound, touch and smell to communicate with each other and to find food. Ant colonies are made up of queens and worker ants. They are also able to fight with each other for territory and food.
Ants live in clusters to stay warm. They go through hibernation during the winter months and then return to activity in the spring. Ant colonies use chemical trails to find food and to recruit other ants.
They also have external teeth and mandibles to break up food. Ants are able to survive in water for days. They build underground chambers for food storage and rest. They also clean up dead animals and debris on the ground.
When the queen dies, the colony can’t grow. It will also have fewer days to gather food and resources. It will also lose its ability to defend itself. The colony will also have less resources to build a nest. If the colony has only worker ants, it will have a better chance of survival.
Workers and queen ants can live for years. They can spend their lives in the colony or go out to find food. However, if they die, their life is over. If they leave to find food, they are more likely to die before they reach fifteen years of age.
When the queen dies, the remaining ants become more aggressive. They won’t run away, but will stay in the territory. They will begin to search for new nests and food sources.
