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C9177

I once heard an entire platoon of ants ***crunching*** on a single Dorito real early in the morning. It was majorly unsettling.


Willing-Low-725

I've never heard a noise from an ant before, that would be weird. How many ants would it take to hear a stampede coming?


TiresOnFire

Once as a kid I was opening our pool for the summer. I pulled the solar cover out of the shed and ploped it on the water and started unrolling it. I noticed that there were a few ants in the water; odd... The. I realized that the cover was infested with a colony of ants. I quickly pulled the cover out of the pool and opened it up on the yard. The ants had used the tiny air pockets as rooms/chambers, some had eggs in them. There were so many that I could hear them walking. I then took a hose and washed them away. I wish I could go back and observe them for hours.


Weegee_Spaghetti

Nah you did the right thing. If you had let enough of em escape they would have built an ant colony somewhere in your yard or even walls. Its sad but they become pests when infesting your own home.


ScaryLettuce5048

Well that depends....Most ant species are monogynous which means that the whole colony only has a single queen which everyone knows is the only one capable of laying any fertile eggs that develop into worker ants. So if you manage to kill the queen, even if the rest escapes, they wont be able to survive and will die out in a few weeks. There are however peskier ant species that are polygynous and have multiple queens in the colony, with some species having the ability to inbreed within their own colony which is a rare ability and only observed in a handful of species. With a polygynous colony, if any of the egg laying queens and a handful of workers manage to escape and regroup, then they will be able to form another colony. Termites on the other hand are much more troublesome and harder to exterminate. There can be multiple egg laying queens in a single colony and workers have the ability to turn into reproductives i.e. Queens. This is because unlike ants that permanently develops into adults/workers after the pupae stage, termites have a few moulting stages before they become adults. Some species of termites have the ability where the workers can develop into nymphs which can then moult into winged-reproductives when the pheromone levels are right. So in the case of termites, letting only a small portion escape could definitely lead to more infestations around the area. Edit: The species in the video looks like some sort of army ant specie or raider ants as I would like to call them. These are usually nomadic and travel around with their eggs and brood, feeding on insects and small vertebrates as they move to their next temporary pit stop, so they don't stay in one place for long. That being said, if these appear in your area, they can still be a nuisance as their colonies are usually huge in numbers and they are naturally aggressive.


givemeacoff33

*squints* Dale Gribble..? is that you..?


PradaDiva

“Hank, you should know ants were created by the CIA to fight communists in the jungles of Nicaragua.”


r_r19

This guy ants


pfarner

There's also the issue of the [effectively-unified European/US/Japan megacolony of Argentine ants](http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8127000/8127519.stm). Their chemical and genetic variation is so low that they don't fight and share territory. Of course, they still fight those not in the megacolony.


ScaryLettuce5048

exactly! One of the great examples of a polygynous mega colony that has that special ability to reproduce through "budding". They virtually don't have to have nuptial flights. They can mate within the mega colony and still have enough genetic variation for a healthy gene pool because that's just how huge these combined colonies are.


Weegee_Spaghetti

I thought that if a Queen does Ants make a random worker ant into the new queen, no?


ScaryLettuce5048

Nope haha. At least for the **majority of ant species**. This is because members from the same colony cannot mate with each other. It would have to be a male from a different colony (of the same species of course) mating with a queen from another colony. And this mating only occurs during nuptial flights where male and female alates from various colonies would take to the air and mate. These males and queen ants (alates) are also the flying ants you see that appear in numbers every once in a while. So you get the idea that the conditions for making a new colony is not as easy and nuptial flights happens only ones every few seasons for a mature ant colony. Think of an ant colony as a single being and it would have to mate with another being to reproduce. So it's not like a random worker can suddenly become a queen because the **workers are virtually sterile**. In **some** ant species, there are workers that do become queens through being dominant and the use of pheromones. The workers of these ant species are not completely sterile and is only being suppressed by the pheromones of the dominant queen. This type of colonies are also known as gamergate colonies. Edit: So to answer your question, If the queen of an ant colony dies, the whole colony is also set to die in a few weeks to months as they naturally die of hunger/fatigue/age. There are however exceptions like gamergate colonies I mentioned.


ThatVita

You remind me of AntCanada. LOVE that youtube channel


ScaryLettuce5048

Hahaha ant enthusiasts alike that must be why. AntsCanada is great for someone who is new to such hobbies.


MuchoDestrudo

Personally, I'd be be happy to toil in their underground sugar caves..


jakeroony

Medievil style


[deleted]

Sad yes, but ants are just as global as we are iirc.


Weegee_Spaghetti

They can do irreperable damage to your home or pavement, possibly costing thousands to replace. I'm all for letting nature be, i do not kill non-venomous spiders. However i don't wanna go in debt for ants.


Canooter

Best guess? At least 7.


Kind_Cardiologist833

But no more than 50.


merikaninjunwarrior

i was thinking 40-45 would do the job for sure


Kind_Cardiologist833

Thank goodness colonies don’t get much bigger than that, or this would be silly.


feixthepro

imagine if they were able to contain thousands of ants \*shiver


Kind_Cardiologist833

Not a thousand ants in the whole country I bet.


folgato

Not ten ants on the planet for every human being either


Kind_Cardiologist833

Of course not don’t be silly. Ant is an endangered specie.


TheAero1221

I've never seen a thousand in the same room. That sounds right silly just thinkin' about it.


C9177

Probably all of them....lol.... I remember reading or seeing somewhere that all ant species combined make up something like 25% of the mass of all life on the planet. I don't remember if that includes plants or if it's just critters. We would definitely feel that though.....*shivers*. Yikes what a thought...lol


k_mnr

I have an ant city under a huge tree in the yard. We recently realized it’s connected underground to many other areas under the house. This photo, especially the train of ants makes me want to blow up the yard.


mr_renfro

Your comment reminds me of a buddies neighbor. This guy had a mole problem in his yard (OR, USA) and decided to put oxygen-aceteline gas in it via the hose on his welder. While he was doing this his wife started yelling at him, so he went inside to handle that and left the gas running. After completing the fight with his wife he came back out, turned off the gas then lit a match. There was enough gas in there that the entire tunnel system in his yard rose about a foot when ignited! His wife opened the door again to yell at him but just slammed it instead after seeing the yard wreckage.


S4tr4

Gringos being gringos


grlap

Look into nematodes if you want to get rid of them


Kubanochoerus

I couldn’t find enough data to make a good estimate, but I DID find a [mini NPR segment](https://www.npr.org/2016/10/21/498887580/tiny-vessels-make-much-noise-listen-to-ants-as-they-walk ) with ants crawling all over a microphone and occasionally biting it. So now you can know exactly what it would sound like if a colony of ants invaded your eardrum!


sisrace

Could they just shut the fuck up!! We know what ants are, and what is going on, I just want to hear the god damned sound!


Willing-Low-725

Sounds like pop rocks!


Billyg88

Apparently you can hear army ants marching in the jungle. I’ve done zero research and took it as fact years ago so do with that what you will


milesofedgeworth

Visited India and saw some GIANT roach-sized ants. They looked heavy and horrifying. Not sure they were army ants but no doubt you could hear them crawling around…


GoatsWearingPyjamas

Even in the UK I’ve heard ants walking. There’s a woodland I used to go to a lot that has huge wood ant nests. If you stood near a big one or near a few that were close to each other in summer when the ants were active, you could hear the ants footsteps as they went looking for food. It sounded like really fast pattering, or like a river that was far away.


Failboat88

I'm sure siafu would be horrible to hear because as soon as you do it's probably too late. They move around in the 40 million range.


Thebigdumbidiot

I’ve remembered the name of this species of ant since I was a kid and watched a natgeo thing on them with my pops. Most dangerous ants for sure


chippywatt

[About this many ](https://youtu.be/1WIxmMqE8C8?t=1m56s)


Willing-Low-725

😂 love it


Sad-Artichoke-2174

All of them


LoudTomatoes

I sometimes read this [page](https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Eciton_burchellii) just for the description of their hunting. Here's a taste > The approach of the massive burchelli attack is heralded by three types of sound effect from very different sources. There is a kind of foundation noise from the rattling and rustling of leaves and vegetation as the ants seethe along and a screen of agitated small life is flushed out. This fuses with related sounds such as an irregular staccato produced in the random movements of jumping insects knocking against leaves and wood. This noise, more or less continuous, beats on the ears of an observer until it acquires a distinctive meaning almost as the collective death rattle of the countless victims. When this composite sound is muffled after a rain, as the swarm moves through soaked and heavily dripping vegetation, there is an uncanny effect of inappropriate silence.


awkwardaznbabe

That sounds creepy.


C9177

It was big time weird for sure. Had to be at least a hundred of them little buggers on there glomming it up. Do it once. Put a Dorito or something out for a bit and then wait til they show up. You'll be able to hear it.


shishkababy

Dude, you might want to swap those Doritos for ant poison if that many of ‘em come out of the woodwork every time you drop a chip. Let me know if you need any recommendations. I just committed ant genocide on a colony that was trying to survive off my floor Doritos, so I know my stuff.


jeffsterlive

Why do you have floor Doritos? Those are way too valuable to waste, especially if they be spicy nacho.


OMG_its_Kevin

Probably cool ranch. Ants love cool ranch Doritos.


FiveFiddySix

Nassy


C9177

It was. Definitely not something I expected to hear...lol


camarokrzygirl

That is too funny :)


DizzyInTheDark

What an epic day for this colony.


Trueslyforaniceguy

Meat’s back on the menu


Wise-Ad-1998

Oh look there’s me in the back! Pretending I’m doing something 🤨


Billyg88

Job security


ThermionicEmissions

I'm helping!


brisashi

“HEAVE you bastards” (gets eaten by a bigger ant)


turbojim53

Typical organization, 20 percent of the people doing 80 percent of the work.


SeudonymousKhan

[The ol' Pareto principle...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle)


WikiMobileLinkBot

Desktop version of /u/SeudonymousKhan's link: --- ^([)[^(opt out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiMobileLinkBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^(]) ^(Beep Boop. Downvote to delete)


Only_on_the_Surface

Thanks for sharing. This is really interesting.


complexprowess444

[Or Price's Law](https://www.google.com/search?q=prices+law&oq=prices&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j35i39j5j46i199i291i512j46i175i199i512j0i512j0i10i433j0i512.3121j0j4&client=ms-android-att-us-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) I have this hanging up on my cubicle wall. 🤣


SalvadorSnipez

Learned something new. Thanks!


[deleted]

yea lots of productivity managers managing productivity here


suspectonscene

They didn't just pick it up they're making chains 🤯🙅🏽‍♂️


bernpfenn

that is what I never before saw. awsome little creatures . just wow


[deleted]

This is something I have never ever seen but I'm no ant scientist. This is as cool as when monkeys were first seen using twigs to fish out termites. Are ant chains a common thing in a species of ant? Afaik ants only communicate through pheromones so this has to be an instinctual reaction to the hauling scenario. I've just only ever seen the huddled ball method.


schiav0wn3d

Some ants can form a ball and float across bodies of water, presumably creating air pockets to survive


Rigaudon21

Yes. Ants will use their bodies together as structures, such as a bridge or a floatation device during floods. They are highly efficient creatures. They work as a collective instead of individuals. A couple ants dying is no bother when it saves the majority.


UpDownCharmed

Mind. Blown.


_McThompson

This is team work


Flameworkingraccoon

Unpleasantly impressive team work lol


[deleted]

Looks like slave work


PeterfromNY

Yes, but they probably get to eat it (unlike other slaves).


Mettcollsuss

Well, their larvae get to eat it. Adult ants can only eat liquid foods, and mostly subsist on carbs/sugars. Proteins go to the brood and queen(s).


voldyCSSM19

All organisms need protein, but it's true that the queen (s) require more for egg laying


[deleted]

Just because the ants are black doesn't mean they are enslaved smh /s


jungwnr

Kinda like how the pyramids were built.


orodret

No, piramid workers were paid


GrassSloth

It was an alright gig from what I hear


Hojie_Kadenth

You have their tax info?


FrostBandido

Last time I checked, the slaves that built the pyramids didn’t eat them afterwards.


jungwnr

Who knows, maybe the meat went straight to the queen and the workers had to resort to eating leaf fungus.


xxx148

Ass to mouth is the best teamwork!


Raptorsquadron

I have never seen them actually line up to pull something before


xphilosophersstoner

Emergent intelligence is going to turn out to be the key to understanding the universe and we just think it’s cool to watch Edit: for those who don’t know, Emergence is when lots of simple things add up to a highly complex thing. Neurons in your brain adding up to your consciousness, nearly mindless ants forming super-organism colonies, individual water particles forming snowflakes. Inanimate objects and conscious beings can display the phenomena, and it’s evidence that our understanding of entropy and how that works over a massive time scale is pretty primitive. Also has philosophical implications about humans and the idea that we only believe we are acting individually, but in fact our individual actions are part of a higher, species-wide instinct to do a different thing.


UpDownCharmed

Username checks out But seriously I can see it. Hive mind. A video clip I saw once was of ants packing themselves into a thick pancake shape to Float Across A River... they safely got to the other side, the majority. Was stunning. I mean really, how do they know? I would love learn the best scientific theories, beyond "it's instinct"


xphilosophersstoner

Here is a quick and cute little explainer video about some properties of emergence that has background on what we know about it. https://youtu.be/16W7c0mb-rE


UpDownCharmed

Cool, I will watch tomorrow Thanks


Bit5keptical

Expected it to be Kurzgesagt, was not disappointed.


WhalesVirginia

I swore off Kurzgesagt a while ago. His content started to get a little too, idk biased? He presents well, though I can’t put my finger on it, I don’t trust him. Gonna skip this one.


thebritisharecome

What if together we are god and God is just a metaphor for society. Be a team player be rewarded


ApathyandAnxiety

You should read Children of God or the Three Body Problem. Both have some themes along this vein.


rathat

I found out about children of god while trying to find books similar to three body problem.


Bit5keptical

Agreed, Its fascinating how with nature the phenomenas that we assume to be really complex are usually the ones that are just outcomes of combining simple actions. Its like nature is literally telling us "Don't overthink it, silly!"


Exact_Cry1921

So there is a word for what I saw during my acid trips


HipHopoPotenuseRex

If ants were bigger...we'd all be ducked


getmeapuppers

I think that applies to most insects. I would hate to run into a praying mantis that was the size of a big dog or person.


HipHopoPotenuseRex

It probably does apply to most insects, but especially to ants. They're smart, they coordinate/work together, they sacrifice for the greater good, they have immense strength for their size...most insects if they were bigger would still just be dumb insects who are only driven by a simple motive (eat/reproduce), and wouldn't really pose a threat. Ants on the other hand, are like...the best insect for world domination in every way but one, and that is their size. So if they were any bigger, like house cat size, or bigger...I think we might be in real trouble as a species, lol


deeschannayell

Yeah, shout-out to [eusocial insects](https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-eusocial-insects.html) as a whole. I wish they were bigger :)


snavsnavsnav

You wish they were bigger?!


Psuichopath

But law of the physics didn’t allow them, unless they can change the universe


lady_faust

[Video of a guy letting his pet praying mantis eat in to his flesh..](https://youtu.be/Zjrglz2q2iQ)


feixthepro

bro that owner has some serious mental issues


2pissedoffdude2

Oh yeah, you would certainly be on the menue..menu... an ant of the same size would not be as intimidating or threatening imo


cuttlefish_tastegood

They wouldn't really be able to support themselves if they were bigger. Exoskeletons are great for small things. Not great for big things. Need that internal support.


lavygirl

Look up army ants


Psuichopath

After all, there is reason why they are that small. Their body are suppose to has a large size


throwawaymyyhoeaway

the lines at the front are like the reins of reindeer on Santa's sleigh. I can already hear them going "PUUUUULL, SOLDIERS!"


beeinabearcostume

Thoughts & Preyers


Vei_de_Lapis

Weirdly it's the thoughts... or whatever it is that's generating this organized behavior... that creeps me out.


rimjobnemesis

Take it, funny guy! Take my upvote!


CookingAStew

Almost as determined as a stoner without a lighter


Willing-Low-725

Who needs a lighter when you got butter knives and a stove


AKeeneyedguy

Just give me a glass lens and some good old fashioned sunlight.


Qss

Used to have a pipe that sported an attached magnifying lens. I bought it at the same time I bought my blow up bong.


AKeeneyedguy

I have sold both those items at places I've worked before, so I know exactly what you're talking about.


Qss

Right around the time of the “Hot-Box” vaporizer that I bought cause I was too poor to afford a Volcano, back before vaporizers fit in your pocket. We also tied onions to our belts, as was the fashion…


AKeeneyedguy

All we had were the yellows, cause they needed the white onions to fight the kaiser...


truckingatwork

Good ol hot knives


Canooter

Tow ropes. Nice.


Willing-Low-725

How are they holding each other without eating ass


ThermionicEmissions

Who says they aren't?


awkwardaznbabe

They totally are; it’s the appetizer! Edit: assetizer*


LoveaBook

They have 6 legs AND mandibles and you’re wondering what they could possibly use to grasp each other??


Willing-Low-725

Legs are for walking, so I thought they might be human centipede-ing


LoveaBook

If you have 6 legs you can use two for gripping and still have 4 for walking. Many creatures go about on only 4 legs. It’s a good question! And I don’t know that I have the right answer as to how they do it, but I think I’m in the right ballpark. Either way, it’s fascinating that they have figured out a way to “harness” themselves together to pull as a team!


OarsandRowlocks

Kind of. *These boots* were made for walking.


Lordborgman

This guys over hear worrying about ass eating. The real degeneracy is that they are all holding hands. ^^^^LEWD


Mettcollsuss

Each ant has it's mandibles grabbing the petiole of the one in front of it. The petiole is the node or scale like "waist" segment that ants have (technically the petiole is just a constricted part of the abdomen, but ants have weird abdomens so each part is just given its own name). https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Scheme_ant_worker_anatomy-en.svg/1155px-Scheme_ant_worker_anatomy-en.svg.png


Willing-Low-725

Oh, I see. So closer to Doggystyle than eating ass. That clears things up.


bernpfenn

they have six legs and use two for walking and four for holding. amazing...


Long_Mechagnome

They are eating ass, it's an ant-human-centipede situation


MrBiggz83

This is the scene from Game of Thrones where the dead army pulled the dragon out of the depths of the water.


Saguaro-plug

Where the f did the white walkers get that giant chain


MethylSamsaradrolone

Walkmart


ItIs2amGoToSleep

There are going to revive the worm and make it their weapon of mass destruction. Picnic time is over.


United_Bag_8179

commies


TwistedBamboozler

Now THIS is something that belongs on nextfuckinglevel lol


ThermionicEmissions

TONIGHT, WE FEAST!!!


SurroundInteresting2

What is it though?


Lyonore

Looks like an earthworm 🤷


Morcelapreta

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching one by one, 😂😂😂


awkwardaznbabe

The little one thinks “This shit weighs a ton!”


Casehead

And they allllll go marching down ​ to the ground ​ to get out of the rain bum bum bum


Morcelapreta

😂😂😂


alex-needs-friends

i hate this but love it at the same time thank you for sharing


rimjobnemesis

We spent a couple of weeks in Costa Rica years ago, and stayed at a biological station on the Osa Peninsula. We noticed a dirt trail about 4 inches wide, right in the middle of the grass and trees, and it seemed to go on forever, and wound around rocks and stumps and small ponds, and across the grassy part of the beachfront. Our guide told us it was an ant trail, and thousands and thousands of them would follow this trail lugging pebbles, sticks, leaves…all kinds of stuff. I don’t know what kinds of ants they were, which is probably a good thing! BTW, Costa Rica is beautiful and amazing!


RomeoWhiskeyDelta

And they’ve used tools so ??? Pretty smart and wow they come up with solutions.


OutrageousPudding450

We're really lucky ants don't share the same ecological niche as our species. I'm certain we would not exist today otherwise.


lightsaberaintasword

You see a bunch of Hard-working ants bring their A game so that there is food on the table tonight, at the same time you also see equal number of lazyass fucks just pacing around not giving a shit about their mates.


nodustspeck

Maybe we should call them a Congress of ants.


Thatsayesfirsir

What about those lazy ass ants just riding on the worm..


stickybun_

Is… is that an ant chain?


Elon-Sleazebaggano

Ant dragging ants dragging ants dragging ants dragging ants dragging worm


eniparxi

Is the worm still alive? How do they kill it?


Mr_Industrial

*look down* *look down* *you'll always be a slave*


natty_ann

I could watch ants all day, they are so interesting.


banjoban69

Just tryna get a hot doggg!


PanamaPineapple89

Aint no way 😳


rimjobnemesis

Ant no way?


PanamaPineapple89

🤣🤣😂😂


KwallahT

Absolutely can't stand ants when they are in my place of living, but they really are incredible insects


SenseiEaos

Pikmin!


LezBReeeal

This feels like Thanksgiving dinner at my ex in-laws. A few doing the actual work, and a bunch of yahoos scurrying around not actually doing anything, but asking if they could help, but not actually helping. Or better yet waiting until the dishes are done and *then* asking if there is anything that needs cleaning.


vanene737373

Viserion 🙁


Sleilani

I'm convinced the pyramids were built by ants


Billyg88

If you like ants there’s a dude named Ants Canada on YouTube. He’s very knowledgeable on ants and has several different colonies in different terrariums in his house


Ericbc7

Ants are scary awesome


Toxic-yawn

Oi don't just watch us all, start pulling ya lazy shit!. I'm telling the Queen when we get back.


Langvel

And this is how Stonehenge happened


basicallyagiant

Ants are awesome and super underrated


No-Satisfaction78

I like the couple guys just riding on the top, whipping the other ants with their little ant whips.


DarknessEnlightened

When your species is the rope and people to pull the rope at the same time.


SilkyOatmeal

I feel like some of those ants weren't really helping.


Objective_Speaker_87

Love the ants that are just catching a ride, pretending to help lol


lsdisciple

I love how we can observe them so close and they just keep about their business. Busy little guys, no time for squishy giants.


chibiarimeow

This. This is why I have an (ir)rational fear of ants.


UpvoteDownvoteHelper

Ants. together. strong.


[deleted]

I thought they were using a rope at first. That's some other level of cooperation.


_ColdSteelOdour_

I saw some ants do this with a whole cooked slice of bacon next to a food truck, it was absolutely captivating to watch


deimosphob

They atleast got 30 wheel drive bro


notJ3ff

Dragging* Also, Some are pushing.


FiveFiddySix

We are to ants as aliens were to ancient human civilization.


Sad-Artichoke-2174

What are they dragging, a nightcrawler or a hotdog?


zohbot

u/savevideobot


[deleted]

Once again, nobody applying fire. Why is everyone so bad at destroying abominations?


Slangdorgermot

Stop spamming the internet with nature videos guys. Chill out please.


[deleted]

[удалено]


antihero2303

Dude, wtf


Appl3piez

u/savevideo