Why Do Ants Carry Dead Ant Bodies Out of Mourning?

Generally, ants do not carry dead ant bodies out of mourning, but for practical and health reasons. They are carried to a midden or ant cemetery where they can be buried. Other insects and bees also perform this practice, although they carry the dead to a different location.

The practice of necrophoresis is found in social insects such as ants, termites, bees, wasps, and other insects. It involves removing the dead nest mates from the colony. This is done to keep the colony healthy and safe.

The deceased ants are carried by swarms of ants. In the presence of oleic acid, which is a chemical produced by dead ants, the swarms rush to the ant body. After two days, the ants carry the body to the midden.

The ants carry the corpses to the middle of the midden, which is a type of structure where they leave waste. The ants then use the dead insects for food, fertilizer, or emergency sustenance. They also build structures out of waste materials. The middens are similar to an ant cemetery, but without permanent markers.

They also carry dead comrades to other nests, such as those of carpenter ants. These carpenter ants build small mounds of dirt over the dead brethren to protect them from predators, weather, and other dangers.

Although ants carry dead ant bodies out of mourning, they do not have the complex emotions that humans have. They also do not cannibalize the dead.