Why Does Ants Kiss When They Meet?
WouterKeeping track of a swarm of hundreds or thousands of ants is no mean feat. To keep your troops in line, you need to devise a foolproof plan. The best way to do this is to use a combination of physical and chemical defenses. In this context, the pheromone is a no brainer. Using pheromones to ward off swarming ants has been around for as long as ants have been around.
As for ants themselves, they are a close-knit community. The aforementioned pheromones are a good place to start when trying to determine how a colony of ants works. To get a clear picture of the situation, you need to understand how ants communicate. You may also want to consider the types of ants present in your swarm. This can be achieved by looking at their ocular signs. For instance, ants that are actively patrolling the perimeter of a nest will often keep the door closed to avoid a potential surprise attack. They also know when it’s time to go home.
A recent study of ants has uncovered some interesting tidbits. Specifically, the ant has a surprisingly small brain. A baffling number of ants are underperforming in terms of their abilities. This can be attributed to a lack of resources such as energy and nutrition. As such, the ant is forced to spend the better part of its life in the dark. As a result, it has to be more discerning in the selection process.
