Have you ever observed a single ant or a colony of ants moving? Have you ever wondered why are they so organized and how they communicate? Let us have a tour of how ants behave and what can we learn from them.
Ants do not work individually, rather they work in a group. Scientists have divided ants into different subfamilies such as Dorylinae, Myrimicinae, and Formicinae, Dorylinae is the predator ant that inhabits the tropical and temperate regions of our planet. Formicinae is found almost everywhere on Earth. Other types of ants are bull ants, leaf cutter ants, and army ants.
They have designated jobs such as searching for food, breaking down food, and protecting the nest. They can be divided into workers, slaves, queens, and soldiers. Ants are born into such castes and are supposed to work only the role they are designated for. The major social unit is the colony which further forms a nest.
Learnings from ants:
Hard work- Ants are believed to be one of the most hardworking insects on Earth. Ants carry food and other materials and store them in their homes mostly during summer as they have to remain in their homes during monsoon. They are extremely strong and can carry weight up to 20 times their body weight which would be equal to 4,000 pounds. The carpenter ant is believed to travel up to 100 yards in search of food. Ants teach us to work hard no matter how difficult the task is.
Organization- The nests of ants are well organized. There are various categories and classes within the ant colony and they divide the labour equally. The inside infrastructure of ants is divided and connected by tunnels. There are specific rooms for specific materials to be stored and a special room for the queen ant. Ants are believed to work in a set algorithm. We all have observed them walk in a single line and sometimes in parallel lines one set for going away and the other set for coming back.
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Teamwork and unity- You will always find a group of ants working together. They are eusocial meaning they work in cooperation and interact with each other to work for collecting food and protecting the nest. Ants set goals and work together to achieve them. The queen ant is the leader of the colony but she is not actively involved in the distribution of work.
Adaptability- They are adaptable to any situation. It was found by a study that they come out of their comfort zone and distribute processes during environmental changes. Although they have a queen ant they do not require the queen or any other class of ant to check upon their work. They know their roles and work accordingly and change the rules when necessary.
Communication skills- Ants possess excellent communication skills and we can learn this soft skill from them. They use these skills to send messages about food source availability and defend themselves from predators. Antennas are present on their heads to communicate which also helps in smelling. Ants also send signals by using pheromones which are chemical signals.
As they move they leave a trail of pheromones on their way which is taken up as a signal by other ants. They do not keep the knowledge of food sources to themselves rather they communicate it to other ants of the colony.
There is a lot we can learn from the behavior and actions of other animals and insects. Ant is one such insect from which we can learn many life lessons. So next time you see an ant, make sure to observe its actions and patterns carefully.
Well, curiosity about ants life increases. Nice blog