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I love ants. Ant farming is an interesting hobby if you like ants too. They're so essential to many biomes that it's hard to imagine how we'll survive if the ma

I love ants. Ant farming is an interesting hobby if you like ants too. They're so essential to many biomes that it's hard to imagine how we'll survive if the mass extinction takes them. That's a lot of biomass!

SeanAnderson 4y ago
How come you love ants so much?
- agentultra 4y ago
  I enjoy their shape and simplicity. I find awe in the way they interact and accomplish tasks as a whole colony that would be impossible for any single individual. And how some species have developed complex, specialized behaviours from the various Acromyrmex species that farm fungi or the genus of Solenopsis that build bridges over water. And they're fascinating to watch! The idea that a single individual may not have the neurological framework to manage these complex behaviours that enable colonies to remember and optimize paths to sources of food over time is fascinating. Formica Rufus! They have a caste system of workers. They farm aphids and plants, they have hunters, and they have builders. They build huge mounts out of deciduous and coniferous plant material around fallen trees. And yet rigid seeming as they are there have been observations where individuals within a caste that prefer certain kinds of tasks over others. I really like spiders too but ants were my first fascination and I still really enjoy them. My kids and I love to catch and identify queens of various species in our area during nuptial flights. It's a lot of fun... sort of like real-like Pokemon.
  - RHSman2 4y ago
    Proper awesome. Look closely and the world will inspire.
jchin 4y ago
I really enjoyed reading "Tales from the Ant World" by Edward O. Wilson. So fascinating!
RHSman2 4y ago
I planted a cherry tree and entered the wonderful world of ants. Aphids come. Ants come and place a Badass Ant Bouncer on each cluster of leaves. They stop the ladybugs coming and eating the aphids. The ants then essentially ‘farm’ the aphids by letting them grow and consuming their sticking goodness. It’s amazing. Obviously we need to get rid of ants and introduce the ladybugs to help out cherry tree. I am sure there is a natural way to do this but I am obsessed by their collective consciousness.

SeanAnderson 4y ago

How come you love ants so much?

agentultra 4y ago
I enjoy their shape and simplicity. I find awe in the way they interact and accomplish tasks as a whole colony that would be impossible for any single individual. And how some species have developed complex, specialized behaviours from the various Acromyrmex species that farm fungi or the genus of Solenopsis that build bridges over water. And they're fascinating to watch! The idea that a single individual may not have the neurological framework to manage these complex behaviours that enable colonies to remember and optimize paths to sources of food over time is fascinating. Formica Rufus! They have a caste system of workers. They farm aphids and plants, they have hunters, and they have builders. They build huge mounts out of deciduous and coniferous plant material around fallen trees. And yet rigid seeming as they are there have been observations where individuals within a caste that prefer certain kinds of tasks over others. I really like spiders too but ants were my first fascination and I still really enjoy them. My kids and I love to catch and identify queens of various species in our area during nuptial flights. It's a lot of fun... sort of like real-like Pokemon.
- RHSman2 4y ago
  Proper awesome. Look closely and the world will inspire.

jchin 4y ago

I really enjoyed reading "Tales from the Ant World" by Edward O. Wilson. So fascinating!

RHSman2 4y ago

I planted a cherry tree and entered the wonderful world of ants. Aphids come. Ants come and place a Badass Ant Bouncer on each cluster of leaves. They stop the ladybugs coming and eating the aphids. The ants then essentially ‘farm’ the aphids by letting them grow and consuming their sticking goodness. It’s amazing. Obviously we need to get rid of ants and introduce the ladybugs to help out cherry tree. I am sure there is a natural way to do this but I am obsessed by their collective consciousness.