Did you know that ants are very extroverted critters? Whether you’ve been a victim to an ant invasion in your kitchen, or have seen them traveling together in a pack on the sidewalk, you have seen ants move together. But have you ever wondered how ants communicate with one another?
Ants are very social creatures. They usually travel in colonies and use pheromones (excreted chemicals) to send signals to their comrades. Each ant can have up to 20 different pheromones.
Ants lay down pheromones from their nest to a site where food is present, which communicates to other ants to follow the leader. If a trail is thick with pheromones, then it is a popular food route, and it will attract a larger number of ants.
Surprise! Ants do make sounds. They do so by rubbing their tiny little legs against their body. This creates a sound that is too low in resonance for people to hear but loud enough for ants to pick up. Most of the time, they communicate with sound when they are trapped somewhere and in need of help.
Ants will touch each other’s antennas to try to communicate additional signals. They also use body language to lightly brush up against each other. An interesting communication tactic that they often use is brushing heads against each other, which creates a jaw reflex and allows the receiving ant to taste the diet of the other ant. Ew, what a strange way for these little guys to talk to each other!
Ants are very fascinating insects and interesting to observe outside, but you definitely don’t want them invading your home. If you are having ant problems, here are our 7 secrets to getting rid of ants.
If these don’t do the trick, give us a call! 706-979-253.
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