What do ants do in winter

The life of ants is engaged in a separate branch of science - myrmecology. Scientists have carefully studied how ants hibernate in an anthill. Curious that different types these insects hibernate in their own way. Some begin to prepare for the onset of cold weather with the advent of spring, barely waking up from the former cold weather, others lead a carefree lifestyle all year round.

Preparing insects for the winter

With the onset of cold weather, active the life of ants pauses or changes slightly.

• 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 pharaonic antsbrought to our area from tropical countries. They live in a human house, where the same temperature is maintained all year round. In the wild, this representative of ants cannot live, dies. Mostly domestic residents who do not know that it can be cold outside.
• In countries where the warm season lasts only a couple of months, insects spend most of their life in anthill. Reserves are made as soon as possible, and the larvae are forced to winter in a supercooled state.
• • Of particular interest is the process of preparing for winter in black ants. It is these representatives of the family that annoy the person most settle in the garden, in the gardencrawl into the house. They are similar in behavior forest.

How to prepare for winter ants common species in our area, scientists have been interested for a long time. Became famous fun facts about goosebumps.

Wintering place

Where ants hibernate depends on their species. In the wild or in a person’s house. The latter do not change the direction of their activities. In the natural environment, insects are forced to take care of a successful wintering from mid-summer. Waiting for winter frosts in the anthill, equipping it properly.

The working part of the family carries food reserves in the form of seeds, grains, plants, even aphids. Equip special cameras, upset deep passages. They try to put more earth on the anthill, leaves, twigs, so that it is warmer. With the onset of cold weather, the whole family climbs into the house, the entrances are tightly closed.

Wintering process

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

Interesting!

Lowering the temperature makes ant organism react to what is happening in a special way. The metabolic processes are slowed down, the need for food disappears, the individual stops moving, the body temperature decreases. This condition is called sleep. Ants wake up after winter or with an abnormal increase in air temperature in the cold season.

In winter, ants can be found in the forest during the thaw. There are no special restrictions on exiting the anthill. The earth heats up, insects can wake up, despite the winter month. Open the entrances, crawl out in search of food.

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