3 replies to this topic

[Barristan]

In this video it seems like the ants are burying a dead bumblebee.

 

Ants often try to bury all kind of stuff like sugar water, honey, dead insects. Maybe there wasn't enough soil nearby so they collected petals instead.

 

What do you think why the ants do this?

Edited by Barristan, August 26 2018 - 12:47 PM.

[gcsnelling]

This video has caused a lot of speculation. The favorite explanation is that the photographer set this up as so many do these to get that super cool video or photograph.

[CampoKing]

All I know is ants cover up anything they find disagreeable. My ants bury old bugs, old sugar water cotton balls, unwanted holes, whatever. It's how they say, "we don't like this."

[DaveJay]

I've been wondering what the theories surrounding the burying behaviour are.
Is it to avoid other ants or animals finding a food source near the ants' nest and invading their space?
Is it a way to preserve food for their own use later? Food sources become desiccated but the nutrients are still there.
I've been wondering about this quite a lot.