Have you ever drawn a chalk circle around an ant to stop it in its tracks? It works, but only temporarily.
This chalk trick works because ants use their sense of smell to find their way around the world. The chalk interferes with their scent trail, but they will eventually figure out a way beyond the chalk.
Besides this little trick, you probably don’t think much about ants at all. But in reality, these tiny bugs live all around us, and they are fascinating creatures.
Here are some more interesting information about these insects.
Fun Facts
There are more than 12,000 different kinds of ants in the world! They can be found on every continent except Antarctica.
These insects play an important role in the environment. They help turn and aerate the soil, like earthworms do, and they also spread plant seeds. Ants are also a food source for many animals, and not just anteaters!
Ants are strong! One ant can carry up to 50 times its weight. Groups of ants can work together to move even bigger objects.
The combined weight of all of the ants on Earth is about the same as the combined weight of all of the humans on Earth.
Ants live in large groups called colonies. A single colony can have as many as 8 million ants living in it.
Ants communicate with one another, but not by talking. These insects secrete chemicals called pheromones that give messages to other ants. The pheromones tell ants where food is or if there’s an intruder in the colony.
Ants eat many different things, depending on the species. The ants we see in our houses eat some of the same foods we do, including honey and other sweets, fruit, meat and dairy products. Some ants are farmers; others hunt for insects and other prey.