What do ants do in winter

The life of ants is engaged in a separate branch of science - myrmecology. Scientists have carefully investigated how ants winter in an anthill. Curious that different types these insects carry wintering in their own way. Some begin to prepare for the onset of cold weather with the arrival of spring, barely waking from the previous cold weather, others lead a careless lifestyle all year round.

Preparing insects for winter

With the onset of cold weather active life of ants it stops or changes somewhat.

  • In countries with a warm climate, insects are active all year round, they do not prepare for winter in any way. Representatives of this species are pharaoh antsbrought to our area from tropical countries. They live in a human house, where the same temperature is maintained throughout the year. In the wild, this representative ant can not live, dies. Mostly home residents who do not know that it is cold outside.
  • In countries where the warm season lasts only a couple of months, insects spend most of their lives in anthill. Stocks are made at the earliest opportunity, and the larvae are forced to spend the winter in a supercooled state.
  • • Of particular interest is the process of preparing for winter black ants. It is these members of the family that most annoy a person settle in the garden, in the gardencrawling into the house. By behavior they are similar forest.

Wintering ant
Wintering ant

Scientists of species common in our area are preparing for winter, scientists have been interested for a long time. Became known interesting facts about the ants.

Wintering place

Where ants hibernate depends on their species. In the wild or in the house of man.The latter do not change the direction of their activities. In their natural environment, insects are forced to take care of a successful wintering from the middle of summer. They wait for winter frosts in the anthill, arranging it properly.

The working part of the family carries food reserves in the form of seeds, grains, plants, even aphid. Equip special cameras, upset deep moves. Trying to put more land on the anthill, leaves, twigs to make it warmer. With the onset of cold weather, the whole family climbs into the house, tightly closed entrances.

Wintering process

With decreasing temperature, insects descend into the lower chambers of the anthill. If the winter is not too harsh, life in the anthill does not stop. Adult ants in the winter take care of the larvae, eggs, the younger generation, which did not have time to grow to the cold. Such care allows you to successfully overwinter all members of a large ant society.

Anthill in winter
Anthill in winter

Interesting!

Lowering the temperature makes ant organism respond to what is happening in a special way. Metabolic processes slow down, the need for food disappears, the individual stops moving, the body temperature decreases.This condition is called a dream. Ants wake up after winter or with an abnormal increase in air temperature during the cold season.

Ants in winter can be found in the forest during the thaw. There are no particular restrictions on leaving the anthill. The earth warms up, insects can wake up, regardless of the winter month. Open entrances, crawling out in search of food.

In most cases, the ants return to normal with the onset of spring. From the lower chambers they rise to the upper chambers, then open the entrances, make their way to the street. Begins an active life and again preparing for the cold.


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