Watch Ants to Know the Weather

Created By RISC | 1 year ago

Last modified date : 1 year ago

If you see ants walking high up, that’s a sign it’ll rain… ​

So how do ants know to climb or carry their larvae from their nest before it rains? Here’s why…​

But, first, let's get to know ants better.​

Ants have lived on Earth for over 10 million years. They can adapt to changing conditions but prefer chilly, damp environments. Thailand has around 500 species of up to 15,000 worldwide. Ants live in groups of 100 to 10,000 and shares chores with 4 major types:​
• Queen ants are the leaders who create a population based on the size of the nest and the season. They live for about 20 years.​
• Female ants are like queens but with wings. They serve the leader and can develop into queen ants by being selected and reared by worker ants.​
• Worker ants are little female ants without wings. They look for food, gather resources for the colony, care for larvae, eggs, everything else in the nest, and protect it against enemies.​
• Male ants: Their sole function is to mate with the queen ant and die.​

So ants are clearly divided by their duties. Communication is another interesting feature.​

Ants convey messages with pheromones. To communicate with one another, they use thousands of hairs on their antennae and front legs. Ant pheromones contain a wide range of information, including warnings, directions, adversaries, and when to migration.​

Ants are also sensitive to temperature and humidity. They can detect changes in soil and humidity in the air better than people and some animals. That’s why we see ants travel before it rains. They may even evacuate weeks in advance or build a mound at the entrance of their nest to protect their home from flooding.​

You might now wonder if ants who evacuate their nests might move permanently into your home. They might. They can settle down permanently if your home has a food source, hidden corners, a crack in the wall. You should check for cracks in the walls and floors, eliminate food waste, and clean your home regularly.​

Other species, like dogs, birds, and fish, can also predict the future. We’ll look at them in the following article.​

​​Story by: Kotchakorn Rattanama, Biodiversity Researcher, RISC

References:​
https://theconversation.com/weve-got-apps-and-radars-but-can-ants-predict-rain-101986​