Ant’s abdomen

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OatstheAntMan
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2022 7:57 am
Location: Cambridge, VT

Ant’s abdomen

Post: # 91910Post OatstheAntMan
Sun May 01, 2022 1:11 pm

There are an ant colony inside my house so I’m thrilled to being able to study them closely. Recently I’ve noticed a couple of ants would bend down to lick end of their abdomen. Anybody know why?

ie: Spotted an ant approached a dead ant near their nest then next thing she did was bending down and licking abdomen.

Correct me if I’m wrong, ants spread out their pheromones by rubbing their abdomen on ground, right? Does it has something to do with their licking it?

SavANT
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2022 12:02 pm
Location: Port Harcourt, Nigeria, WA

Re: Ant’s abdomen

Post: # 91911Post SavANT
Sun May 01, 2022 1:14 pm

OatstheAntMan wrote:
Sun May 01, 2022 1:11 pm
There are an ant colony inside my house so I’m thrilled to being able to study them closely. Recently I’ve noticed a couple of ants would bend down to lick end of their abdomen. Anybody know why?

ie: Spotted an ant approached a dead ant near their nest then next thing he did was bending down and licking abdomen.

Correct me if I’m wrong, ants spread out their pheromones by rubbing their abdomen on ground, right? Does it has something to do with their licking it?
From what I read up sometime on the web, ants tend to drink their formic acid and even spray them around the nest to eliminate parasites. I normally see the workers in my colony doing it literally all the time but mostly after they have been fed
Keeper of;
Camponotus pennsylvanicus (4)
Camponotus consobrinus(1)

OatstheAntMan
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2022 7:57 am
Location: Cambridge, VT

Re: Ant’s abdomen

Post: # 91912Post OatstheAntMan
Sun May 01, 2022 2:27 pm

Interesting. Heres a theory, maybe like you said the ant I saw near dead body was spreading it on the area near nest to prevent parasites from the dead body from harming the nest? Because she immediately started doing it right after discovered the dead body.

I find it fascinating that formic acid hurts others but not ants themselves, heck they’re drinking it!! :shock:

SavANT
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2022 12:02 pm
Location: Port Harcourt, Nigeria, WA

Re: Ant’s abdomen

Post: # 91913Post SavANT
Sun May 01, 2022 3:03 pm

OatstheAntMan wrote:
Sun May 01, 2022 2:27 pm
Interesting. Heres a theory, maybe like you said the ant I saw near dead body was spreading it on the area near nest to prevent parasites from the dead body from harming the nest? Because she immediately started doing it right after discovered the dead body.

I find it fascinating that formic acid hurts others but not ants themselves, heck they’re drinking it!! :shock:
Lol.. :D that's nature for you
Keeper of;
Camponotus pennsylvanicus (4)
Camponotus consobrinus(1)

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: Ant’s abdomen

Post: # 91922Post SolenopsisKeeper
Sun May 01, 2022 10:05 pm

OatstheAntMan wrote:
Sun May 01, 2022 2:27 pm
Interesting. Heres a theory, maybe like you said the ant I saw near dead body was spreading it on the area near nest to prevent parasites from the dead body from harming the nest? Because she immediately started doing it right after discovered the dead body.

I find it fascinating that formic acid hurts others but not ants themselves, heck they’re drinking it!! :shock:
She may also be cleaning it. My ants once used all their Formic acid(I know Becuase it wouldn’t work on the flies anymore :lol: and they would be so confused after that fly got away) they will clean it after using it. Queens also clean their gaster if a male or unknown substance has been there.
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

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