Ants carrying other dead ants
Posted by charlotte burger on April 19, 2006
Q: Just want to know why live ants carry dead ants off... and where do they take them.. and when they get there what do they do with them?
Thanks.
Habitat: suburban/yard
State: Massachusetts
Habitat: suburban/yard
A: Ants regularly remove their dead fellow-workers when they find them. They move these dead insects to a special place in their tunnels that acts like a cemetery. The dead ants are simply piled up there and left. Guess it's a kind of "housecleaning" action. Thanks for asking and nice observation.
John Wiessinger ( April 20, 2006)
Filed under: Insects