5 replies to this topic

[Max_Connor]

Carpenter ants in Northern hemisphere can survive winters as cold as -30°C and lower, being protected just by the bark of a tree.
I can barely imagine how trees can keep the temperature above zero inside them, even though they slow down all the plants' cellular processes by a great factor and certainly don't produce much heat.
Is it the bark that isolates the insides and the ants so well? And how often ants just die from an extremely low temperature?

[Manitobant]

Unlike many other ants that dig deep into the ground in order to escape the cold, camponotus produce a natural antifreeze in their blood that prevents them from freezing to death. Its a very effective strategy that allows camponotus to thrive in areas that get too cold for most other genera to survive.

[ANTdrew]

Also, trees do not keep their temperature above zero. They too build up antifreeze in their sap by concentrating sugars that lower the freezing point.

[Max_Connor]

Ok, thank you

But why is it advised that you should hibernate your ants at say 2 - 8 C and never let it get below zero? As if ants would die as soon as the temperature goes below.

Because this temperature is optimal, but ants don't actually die at a slightly lower temperature?

Edited by Max_Connor, November 6 2021 - 7:43 PM.

[Zeiss]

I have no experience with hibernating ants as I have kept pretty much only desert ants.

 

But, I believe most people don't hibernate in sub-zero temperatures because not everyone may have access to devices that make things that cold as well as it's unneeded stress for the ants in captivity.  Just getting them to hibernating temperatures should be just fine for their natural cycle.

[ANTdrew]

Ok, thank you
But why is it advised that you should hibernate your ants at say 2 - 8 C and never let it get below zero? As if ants would die as soon as the temperature goes below.
Because this temperature is optimal, but ants don't actually die at a slightly lower temperature?

Below zero temps would probably be fine, but it is not advised because it is hard to replicate the gradual cool down ants need to prepare for such cold in captivity. Also, it is unnecessary.