How garden ants hibernate. Wintering ants: preparation and survival. Species living in northern latitudes

Many people are interested in facts from the life of insects. For example, what do ants do in winter? Today you will find out how these little eternal workers are preparing for the coldest period of the year, where ants hibernate, which of them hibernate and which do not. What do those insects that do not sleep, who are ant neighbors in winter.

In the life of the entire anthill, preparation for a difficult winter period is an important step. All the efforts of ants since spring are aimed at accumulating resources to survive the winter and have offspring before the onset of frost. At the same time, many insects do not hibernate in winter, but are active, although not in the same way as in summer. How little workers prepare for winter has been studied by many scientists and amateur myrmecologists who prefer to keep these insects in the house.

If we talk about food preparation, ants extract and demolish dry fruits, various seeds, parts of plants for storage in their home in winter. They carry provisions from place to place throughout the winter. This allows it not to deteriorate, being in conditions of high humidity, and the ants not to die of starvation.

In the cold season, eggs laid by the uterus in summer become a good help. They do not have fruits, they are called trophic, and they serve as top dressing in the cold.

As for the winter house, insects move to its lower floors, located in deep layers of soil. At a depth of about 2 meters, they are quite comfortable. Constantly maintained at the proper level, the temperature contributes to the fact that the ants hibernate under normal conditions. In order to insulate the house for wintering, even before the onset of cold weather, garbage and earth are taken out of it to the surface. This is necessary so that housing is under a kind of fur coat.

Video "Winter for ants"

In this video you will learn how these insects survive the winter.

Where do they winter

The chambers where ant larvae hibernate in winter differ from summer ones. Before the onset of cold weather, adults are carefully prepared - in order to warm the house, all holes in it are well clogged with dry grass along with the ground. Holes open only for a time when insects need to replenish food supplies. But this is done only when the air temperature rises slightly.

If the upper part of the anthill suddenly gets wet in winter, a special rescue team drags food supplies into deeper compartments. Insects hibernate in their cozy shelter until March-April. A sign of the imminent release of goosebumps to the surface will be the deposition of eggs by the uterus and the gradual resumption of labor activity. In spring, the life of adults becomes active and resumes to the fullest.

How they winter

Ants living in different regions hibernate in different ways. For example, polar species go to winter for a long 7 - 9 months. And for that small warm period in the year, when there is no snow, they manage to feed their offspring. Insects that are residents of Kazakhstan, the Mediterranean, Central Asia, that is, hot southern regions, winter for no more than 1 - 2 months. Ants living in Turkey do not spend the winter every year. It occurs in insects only in the presence of severe weather conditions.

But goosebumps are prepared for wintering every year. They are engaged in home improvement, collect seeds as food supplies, feed the larvae. Known to many, the little pest of the pharaohs, the ant, never prepares for wintering, nor does it itself. Since his homeland is the tropics, where there is no climate change. He feels great in the dwellings of our compatriots and dies only if he accidentally ends up on the street.

In winter, ants stop their development - the larvae do not grow, stop pupating, queens do not lay eggs, the last pupae complete metamorphoses. In preparation for the winter period, workers absorb aphid excretions.

They contain sugar, which inside the ant body is transformed into glycerin. It reaches about 30% in the body of an insect, helps it preserve itself and not turn into ice when it gets cold. For normal wintering, the temperature in the underground ant house should be at least -2 degrees.

I wonder if all ants rest in winter? And what do those who work do?

Do ants sleep

We already know where goosebumps go to live with the onset of cold weather. Some adults spend the winter in a dream, that is, in a state of diapause. At the same time, the work of all internal organs does not stop, but only decreases. Other insect species are still active, but not as much as in summer. In some species of insects, only adults spend the winter. These are species that do not undergo diapause. Larvae need protein food - for example, other arthropods that adults are not able to get. By the onset of winter, the offspring from the eggs laid in the spring turns into adult ants, which go to hibernate. And the uterus lays eggs again in the spring, when there is already the first protein food.

Interesting facts from the life of ants are known. For example, in Kolyma, the lowest possible temperature for insects was once recorded - minus 58 degrees. Surprisingly, the larvae's metabolism did not stop. In this state, the ants practically lose their mobility. We can say that they have a dream.

winter labor

Those ants that do not hibernate move quite a bit and also rarely eat food. But when the larvae spend the winter in the dwelling, adults continue to actively feed them. Such types of ants carry out thorough preparation for the winter period, collecting larvae in special chambers, where it is possible to create a comfortable microclimate. To survive, working individuals have been preparing food supplies since autumn, which should be enough before the snow begins to melt. With the onset of cold weather, the labor force makes repairs to the dwelling in those places where it is necessary. It is also their responsibility to maintain a comfortable microclimate for the survival of the entire population of insects.

Neighbours

In addition to the ants themselves, aphids, beetles, moths, as well as the larvae of these insects also live in their dwelling in the neighborhood. They are useful for those who secrete a special nutritious and sweet-tasting enzyme that helps ants survive in the cold. Such neighbors themselves eat not only part of the ant reserves, but also their eggs. Many insects and bugs, hiding from severe frosts, find salvation in dwellings abandoned by goosebumps located on the surface of the soil.

Preparing an anthill for winter is a troublesome and responsible business. During the spring and summer, it is necessary not only to make food preparations, but also to ensure the release of insects from the larvae before the onset of cold weather.

Let's explain why this happens. For proper nutrition, the larva requires a large amount of protein food, which adult ants are not able to provide in winter. Therefore, nature provides for the maturation of larvae before winter.

Not all types of ants hibernate. The bulk of insects lead a relatively active lifestyle, but already in the lower layers of the anthill underground. In winter, worker ants are engaged in the repair of chambers, monitor the microclimate in them. And some species also feed the larvae.

In the cold season, ants live in their own anthill, they only go to special chambers for wintering. They are located deep underground, and almost all winter they maintain a relatively stable temperature.

Before the onset of winter, all entrances to the anthill are carefully sealed with earth and parts of dry plants. In the southern regions, with the onset of thaws, some exits are temporarily opened for ventilation.

Wintering chambers are under special supervision, especially in those cases when it is necessary to feed the larvae - they are collected in compartments with the most suitable conditions.

The preparation of ants for winter consists, first of all, in the preparation of stocks consisting of dry fruits, seeds and parts of dry plants. As a result of temperature fluctuations and wetting of the upper layer of the anthill, some of the blanks may simply disappear. To prevent this from happening, the ants are constantly dragging supplies to a new location.

Do ants sleep in winter?

Some species of ants sleep during the winter, this period is called “diapause”. At the same time, the internal organs of insects function, but at a slower pace.

The main part of the ants does not sleep in cold weather. Their motor activity is reduced, but the work continues. One of the main tasks is to feed the larvae (for those species in which the release of adults before winter is not provided).

Ants hibernate in different ways and at different times depending on the region where they live. The polar ant winters for 8-9 months a year . During the remaining warm months, the larvae do not have time to grow and overwinter even twice or thrice. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of anthills endure the cold quite easily.

In southern regions with a relatively warm climate, anthills remain closed for 2 to 3 months. . And in regions with a transitional climate (Turkey, countries of Asia Minor), sometimes ants do not hibernate at all. But what is remarkable is that they are still preparing for the cold weather: they stockpile stocks for future use and grow a huge number of larvae.

So the question: do ants make stocks for the winter can be answered unequivocally - yes, and everywhere.

Is it interesting or the influence of ultra-low temperatures

Ants living in the northern regions hibernate in extreme conditions. It is clear that not a single underground chamber will save from such drops.

The body temperature of ants can drop to minus 50 degrees. A case was recorded when a living ant larva had a temperature of 58 degrees below zero, an absolute record.

The body of an ant reacts in a special way to its cooling. The lower the ambient temperature, the greater the concentration of sugary substances in insect cells. Conversely, the higher the concentration of sugars, the easier cold snap is tolerated. It turns out such a vicious circle that helps the ants survive in such difficult conditions. At the same time, metabolic processes do not stop, but only slow down.

With the advent of heat, ants and their larvae return to normal life. Although in this case the question arises: what period should be considered normal - winter or summer, if the insect sleeps for 8 - 9 months.

The habitat of ants in the direction of the north is limited by the thawing line of the earth at least 30 centimeters. Insects should be able to build underground chambers for rearing their offspring. The Kamchatka ant, for example, digs passages at a depth of 10 to 30 centimeters.

Eternal workers

In fact, the entire summer season can be called direct preparation for winter. As soon as the queen ant consumes protein food in the spring, she immediately begins to lay eggs. The main task of worker ants is to fully feed the larvae so that new offspring can emerge.

It makes sense to summarize how ants prepare for winter. So:

• Insects store food for the winter in those quantities to survive the winter.
• Ants actively feed the larvae to achieve a 100% yield of new individuals.
• Insects dig new underground chambers and check the old ones in order to move there during the cold weather. This is where the ants go for the winter. In some species, larvae hibernate in such compartments.

Another, no less important task is to maintain a relatively complete nutrition of the ant queen. In summer, with an excess of protein food, the uterus begins to lay the so-called trophic eggs, rich in nutrients. The larvae of them do not develop, and the eggs themselves go to feed the uterus in the cold season.

Desserts and neighbors

Ants are big sweet tooth. Sometimes it comes to the fact that they carry away entire colonies of aphids underground, and continue to feast on the sweet secret secreted. True, without fresh food, aphids die within a few weeks, but for some time the ants have the opportunity to taste the products of their vital activity.

All insects living in the territory where the temperature drops to minus in the winter season are forced to prepare for the cold. are no exception. Throughout the summer season, they stockpile food, fortify and insulate their home to overcome the coldest period of the year. It is difficult to imagine how ants hibernate in an anthill under a layer of snow. But myrmecological scientists were able to study this issue and provide detailed information.

Preparing an anthill for wintering

Before the onset of the winter season, insects begin to actively prepare for wintering. Successful overcoming of cold weather depends on how ants prepare for winter. To do this, they stock up on a large amount of food and insulate their anthill from the outside and from the inside. An additional layer of twigs and leaves on top of the hill keeps the heat inside the home. The upper floors of the house can be prone to freezing, so all stocks of food and nutritious products are transferred to the lower levels.

Interesting!

Preservation of heat in the ant dwelling depends on the amount of snow on its top. A thick layer of snow creates additional protection for the anthill from wind and frost.

The next step is the preparation of a special chamber where ants hibernate. There they spend almost the entire winter, leaving the compartment only when necessary. At the deep level of the anthill, the temperature in winter stays around zero, which allows adults to live there and lead a measured life.

For the winter, working insects close all the entrances to the anthill with earth and clay and insulate the corridors from the inside. Shepherds drive herds to the lower tiers, where they continue to look after their "cows" and receive a sweet treat from them.

Ant life in winter

With the advent of cold weather, life in the colony slows down. Ants become less active in winter, but continue to live, performing their daily duties. begins to produce offspring less often or completely stops laying eggs during this period, and larvae and pupae slow down their development.

Aphids without a constant source of herbal nutrition die, and stocks accumulated over the summer period. Some fall asleep in winter so as not to waste their energy.

With the onset of a thaw, a special detachment of scout insects opens several entrances for fresh warm air to enter their home. The first signs of spring help them finally wake up - a large amount of moisture from melting snow. The upper tiers of the ant dwelling are often flooded with melt water.

When the ants wake up after winter, they are waiting for restoration work to repair the home. In addition, they will have to drive out from the upper floors of their house those insects that have found shelter there during the winter cold. Thanks to the coordinated work of the entire ant family, the anthill is rebuilt from year to year and increases in size.

As soon as it begins to warm in March, the earliest insects, stoneflies, can be seen near the water. There is still snow all around, and these creatures with transparent wings and thin antennae on their heads are already running around near water bodies. Adults are on the shore, and stonefly larvae are in the water.

A little later, with the melting of snow, one of the main forest workers, ants, wakes up. As soon as the snow comes off the anthill, these insects get out on its surface to bask in the sun. And sod ants wake up only after the soil warms up a little.

Immediately after the snow melts, provided there is no frost, the first ones wake up. Bright and colorful first takes off into the air. It can be recognized by its brick-red wings, along which there are yellow and black spots along the front, and blue triangles on the sides. It got its name from the fact that only its caterpillars can eat stinging nettles.

It is believed that the urticaria can predict the weather - if on a warm day it hides in a secluded place, then it will get colder or it will rain.

And a week after the urticaria, lemongrass wakes up. Their females are distinguished by a pale yellow-green color, and males are bright yellow. The rest of the butterflies appear much later, because they hibernate eggs, caterpillars and pupae, which need time to turn into a butterfly. And adults overwinter in lemongrass and urticaria.

In early spring, you can hear a characteristic buzzing in the air - this is large bumblebees going in search of the first flowers. Due to the rapid contraction of the pectoral muscles, causing a loud buzzing, these insects maintain an optimal body temperature of +40 ° C, even if it is not more than 10 ° C outside.

The ability to maintain a high body temperature allowed bumblebees to settle in the North, where other insects simply could not survive.

late insects

Among those who wake up for a long time in the spring are ladybugs. These small bright insects appear by mid-April and immediately get to work protecting plants from aphids. They are easily recognizable by their arched back and yellow or red wings with black dots.

In May, the air is filled with harmful midges and mosquitoes, which cause a lot of trouble for both people and animals. The bites of many midges are quite painful. Then you can see the first sleepy flies.

And at the end of spring, May beetles wake up - large insects of black-brown color with a characteristic mustache bristle. True, they fly only 20-40 days, and then they lay eggs underground, developing for several years.

How ants prepare for winter, you will learn from this article.

Preparing for winter with ants is a responsible and serious stage for the entire anthill. All the efforts of the ant family, starting from the spring, are aimed at accumulating the amount of resources necessary to survive in the winter and provide a new generation of insects before the first frosts. Many ants do not sleep at all in winter.

In late autumn, work begins on carefully sealing up all the entrances to the anthill for the winter with dry parts of plants and earth so that cold air does not enter through them.

Some ants sleep in the winter - this is the name of the state of diapause. With it, the functioning of internal organs is significantly reduced, but does not completely stop.

Other types of ants remain active during wintering. During this period, as a rule, they move very little and eat little. If there are larvae in the anthill, then adults feed them. Ants that perform this function are actively preparing for winter since autumn - larvae, seeds, dry fruits and other parts of plants are collected in chambers with an optimal microclimate.

It is worth noting that ants are big sweet tooth. Sometimes they carry whole armies of aphids into the anthill, and continue to feast on the sweet secret secreted. Of course, without food, aphids die within a few weeks.

At what depth do ants hibernate?

It all depends on the climate and frost in winter. But, as a rule, the depth of the anthill reaches 1.2-2 meters deep into the earth.

We hope that from this article you have learned how ants live in winter.

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What do ants do in winter - can they hibernate

Preparing for winter is a serious and responsible business of the ant family. This process begins in the spring itself, because you need to accumulate enough resources to bring out a new generation before the start of frost.

Many species of ants do not hibernate at all, as it may seem to an unenlightened person, since they are not visible in cold weather. Does an ant hibernate or not? Doing something or not?

How do ants prepare for wintering?

The preparation for the winter period of ants has been studied in detail by many scientists. Moreover, amateur myrmecologists who keep ants at home are very familiar with the intricacies of wintering ants, so their life is considered from all sides.

Interesting! The science that studies ants is called myrmecology. A specialist engaged in the study of these insects is a myrmecologist.

Our readers recommend! To get rid of ants, our readers recommend the Pest-Reject repeller. The operation of the device is based on the technology of electro-magnetic pulses and ultrasonic waves! Absolutely safe, ecological product for humans and pets.

Read more here...

Different types of ants hibernate in their own way, as this depends on environmental conditions. The polar ant, for example, hibernates for about 8–9 months a year, and in the rest of the snowless time it needs to have time to feed its offspring, which is not always possible. But still, wintering, even in such harsh conditions, as a rule, is successful.

Other species living in the warmer region only winter during the coldest 2–3 months. In the southern climate, they rarely go to sleep - only under the most adverse weather conditions.

At the same time, they, as usual, carry out thorough preparation:

• collect seeds;
• furnish a home;
• feed the larvae.

Interesting! The pharaoh ant - a domestic pest - does not hibernate at all, therefore it does not prepare for it. He comes from the tropics, where the climate is almost the same all year round.

In harsh climatic conditions, he adapted to live in a human dwelling, where the temperature is always comfortable for him. Therefore, if a colony of pharaoh ants is on the street, it will die.

Where do ants hibernate

Insects wait out the winter in their anthills. Usually they build "winter rooms" deeper than all the others, since at a certain distance from the surface of the earth the temperature is maintained stable and comfortable enough to overwinter.

For the winter, the entrances to the anthill are well insulated with the help of earth, dry parts of plants, in order to prevent cold air from entering. During the thaw period, if the anthill is located in a warm region, the ant colony can get out of the dwelling in search of food.

What do ants do in winter? Worker insects of non-hibernating species are engaged in winter:

1. Ant repair.
2. Expand cameras.
3. Monitor the microclimate.

Do ants sleep in winter

Some species hibernate in winter. This state can be called diapause, when the functions of the internal organs stop their work. Others remain active in winter, but it is somewhat reduced, while they need less food.

However, if there are larvae in the anthill, adults continue to feed them. This species throughout the warm period of the year prepares for winter and arranges its larvae to "rooms" with an optimal microclimate.

In other species, adults lead an active lifestyle during the winter. As a rule, such representatives do not have diapause, so insects fuss all year round. To prepare for winter, they stock up on seeds, dry fruits, all parts of plants are used.

Ant larvae require protein food for nutrition, and in winter it is impossible to find any living creatures. The only way out is to have time to hatch from eggs in the spring and turn into an adult before the onset of cold weather and fall asleep in order to wake up again in the spring.

With the advent of protein food, the ant mother again begins to lay eggs and life is renewed. In the northern latitudes, the larvae of certain ant species do not have time to develop into an adult, so they overwinter in the house supercooled.

And especially the "extreme" species that live at high altitudes, in the state of larvae, can overwinter up to two times before becoming an adult. Usually only larvae that have reached the third instar overwinter, as they are more resistant to temperature extremes.

Species living in northern latitudes

Moving north, ants are limited only by a line where only the top layer freezes in winter, which is no more than 30 cm. a mark sufficient for the development of its larvae.

Wintering in the northern harsh climatic conditions, these insects survive even with severe hypothermia - in some, the body temperature drops to minus 50 degrees! And the larvae of one of the species living in Kolyma, the temperature reached -58 degrees, while their metabolism did not stop.

What is this natural phenomenon? Indeed, at such a low temperature, according to the law of physics, all fluids in the body freeze. But not the ants.

In them, with the onset of cold weather, the fluids in the body are filled with glucose, which is why the freezing temperature of their body constantly drops. Therefore, even in such extreme frost, they remain liquids. Of course, in this state, the ants are almost devoid of mobility, we can say that they fell asleep, but still remain alive.

Anthill in winter

So, during the whole warm period of the year, insects are preparing for winter. As soon as the queen consumes all the proteins in the spring, she immediately begins to make a new laying of eggs. The main task of worker ants is to fully feed the larvae so that new offspring will grow before the cold weather.

The information needs to be summarized. How do ants prepare for winter?

• Insects are engaged in the search for food and its stock in such quantities that it is enough until spring.
• The larvae are actively fed so that the young growth reaches 100% survival rate.
• Insects in winter check old chambers and dig new ones so that they can move there. Some species use such "rooms" for larvae.

Scientists myrmecologists argue that the behavior of insects at different times of the year is influenced by external factors, such as the length of daylight hours and changes in the composition of food.

Insects are still preparing for the onset of cold weather, no matter in which region they live in warm or cold. Life in the anthill continues, but not as actively as during the warm period of the calendar.

Attention, only TODAY!

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How ants prepare for winter and where they hibernate - briefly

To the disappointment of many, not all types of ants fall into hibernation, most are fully preparing for the upcoming cold weather. How does this happen (how do they hibernate and how do they prepare for this)? What are the reasons for the appearance of these insects in the apartment in the winter and how can they be removed? We propose to consider the answers to the proposed and related questions in the presented material.

How do ants prepare for winter?

How are garden ants preparing for the upcoming cold weather? Preparing for winter is a very laborious process, including some nuances:

Strengthening the anthill; roof insulation; feeding the remaining larvae (check all eggs, try to speed up the process by warming); checking all passages and compartments, digging new ones (if necessary); repair work in all "rooms" (when they hibernate in an anthill, they slightly open passages for ventilation); blockage of exits with earth, hay or clay;

Preparing food, etc.

Garden ants in winter are able to withstand temperatures down to -50 degrees, so they can continue their work, but their activity drops significantly.

How garden ants hibernate

Taking into account environmental factors, the life of garden ants takes a different course in winter. All spring, summer and until late autumn, insects are actively preparing for the upcoming cold weather - all activities are aimed at increasing the colony (the ant queen is breeding) and constantly replenishing food supplies. When they hibernate, working insects are busy maintaining their anthill in a functional state - they repair and transfer supplies to the lower chambers as necessary, take care of the uterus, etc. While all insects are wintering, the ant queen actively replenishes its protein reserves in order to have strength and energy when spring comes. ability to lay eggs.

How and where do ants live in winter

Garden ants spend the winter in their anthill, but they use recessed chambers. This method helps them to be in a constant temperature regime, so insects hibernate in a comfortable microclimate.

What do ants eat in winter

In the summer, garden ants prepare for the coming winter and prepare plant and protein foods that can retain nutritional value for a long time:

kidneys; flexible stems; flowers; seeds of various plants; caterpillars;

Other insects (grasshoppers, crickets, etc.).

An interesting fact is that in order to improve the quality of food supplies and enjoy sweets, garden ants are able to keep live food - aphids. They drag living individuals and keep them in special chambers. Thus, they prepare for the onset of cold weather and winter comfortably.

How to get rid of ants in the winter in the apartment?

As we have already found out, garden ants carefully prepare for the winter cold. They winter not only in their anthills, but also in human habitation. Therefore, it is important to prevent their appearance in time, and if this happens, and they hibernate in your house (or are just preparing for the process), you need to start using ant remedies in the apartment. Today, manufacturers represent a wide range:

Aerosols; the pencils; bulk preparations; adhesive tapes;

Traps, etc.

It is important to pay attention to the instructions and strictly follow the recommendations, especially if you have small children (some products contain a high content of strong insecticidal components).

The most popular ant remedies are: Dohlox, Vesta 555, Anteater, etc.

Reasons for the appearance of ants in the apartment in winter

Insects carefully prepare for the winter period. Ants hibernate in any place suitable for the location and maintenance of their colony and carefully prepare for the process: in the forest or in the garden, near roads, in parks, etc. getting wet, complete ruin, etc. Usually this can be noted in private houses, where it is possible to settle in the underground or in various crevices. But the appearance of colonies in the apartment is not uncommon. To prevent such situations, it is recommended to carry out preventive work:

Take out the trash every day monitor indoor hygiene, especially in the kitchen area (make wet cleaning more often);

Store products in tightly closed containers or bags.

It would not be superfluous to secure your apartment by blocking the passages: ventilation shafts, entrance doors, windows, sewer pipes, etc. In all these places, it is recommended to regularly lay out various pest repellents (ants do not like the swing of essential oils, wormwood, tansy and lavender). This will help prevent the appearance of not only garden ants, but also other insects.

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klop4ik.ru

How do ants hibernate and how do they prepare for winter?

An ant colony lives for several years, and how ants hibernate may be of interest not only to entomologists and nature lovers. Often, side by side with a person, bringing great benefits in the garden and annoying in a dwelling or greenhouse, these hardworking creatures attract attention. And don't expect them to freeze in winter. With the onset of the first spring days, it turns out that they were just sleeping and waiting for warmth.

How do ants prepare for wintering?

It turns out that not all ants sleep: even in the cold season, some families live a normal life. Of course, they are deprived of the opportunity to go outside and are less active than in summer, but they do not fall into hibernation, continuing to build tunnels, feed the queen (queen), and sometimes grow mushrooms and take care of "domestic animals". In very cold regions, where the soil freezes to a great depth, ants still spend most of the winter in a sleepy state. But how do ants prepare for winter when they don't have to sleep?

In order to provide the colony with food for the entire cold season and successfully overwinter, the little workers work throughout the warm season. They catch a huge number of caterpillars, bedbugs, beetles and other insects that are pests of horticultural crops. Part of the prey goes to feed the larvae, but the rest is stored in special chambers. Among the reserves may be seeds, and dead insects, and fruits of plants.

Some worker ants constantly build up the dome of their home. Red forest ants are especially distinguished by this: their "heaps" can reach more than 1 m in diameter and a height of about 50 cm. Both living chambers and storages are located inside the dome. Loose material serves as an excellent protection against cold for underground rooms, where insects go for the winter.

In an effort to protect the wintering larvae, they are transferred to the most protected chambers, where the temperature does not fall below critical. Young animals need protein nutrition: it is for this that ants drag a variety of insects into their home. The uterus is also heavily supplied with protein feed: from this, it begins to lay a special type of eggs - trophic (nutritional). Larvae cannot hatch from them, but the eggs themselves serve as food for the uterus in winter.

With the onset of cold weather, all entrances to the anthill are closed. It is difficult for an outside observer to determine whether its inhabitants are sleeping or not.

Do ants sleep in winter?

The question of what ants do in winter becomes interesting as soon as it turns out that they do not die from the cold. It turns out that inconspicuous life can continue even under a layer of snow. Thanks to the protection of loose material, folded in a dome on the soil surface, ants can survive winters even in relatively cold regions.

The vast majority of species living in central Russia and countries with a temperate climate try to bring out new members of the colony from larvae during the summer. The offspring begin to be fed especially intensively closer to autumn in order to have time to completely complete this process. Such colonies overwinter with only adult ants and a queen.

In very cold regions, the larvae do not have time to complete the transformation cycle. They do not die, but, like adults, they fall into a stupor (diapause) for a period of severe cold. At this time, even in the chambers where ants hibernate, the temperature drops much below 0 °C. Insects in this state practically do not need food, since their organs work very slowly. When the temperature rises to positive values, the ants go into a relatively active state: they feed, take care of the young and improve the dwelling, starting to appear on the street already at +5 °C. Despite the fact that they spend most of the winter in hibernation, their preparation for the cold is practically the same as that of those species that live further south.

Ants living in regions with a mild climate, where even in winter it would be possible to come to the surface, in the same way begin to intensively hatch larvae and stock up, like their northern counterparts. Thus, it is absolutely not necessary to talk about the intelligence of insects: they are guided by instinct and react to a reduction in daylight hours and a decrease in temperature. Therefore, even domestic ants usually disappear in winter, although the colony itself does not sleep.

What do ants do in winter?

Those families that do not enter the state of diapause have no less work than in summer. The main occupation of the colonies, wintering only in adulthood, is the repair of tunnels and chambers. Some of the workers still take care of the queen of the colony: she has to be fed. The diet of the female becomes only slightly poorer in protein than in summer. This prompts her to stop laying new eggs, the larvae of which could lead to starvation of the entire colony, since it is rather difficult to maintain a large amount of protein feed.

In temperate ants, other organisms can also spend the winter in a relatively warm dwelling. Many species are very fond of sweet secretions of aphids. To do this, they transfer small insects to the anthill chamber, where they keep them as pets for some time. Some families of ants grow microscopic fungi that are well suited to the microclimate of underground caves.

But the Lomehuza beetle has adapted best of all to life with ants. His female even allows herself to lay eggs in the chambers where the offspring of the owners themselves are located. The secret of this behavior lies in a certain substance that acts on the ants like a drug. The substance is secreted by both adult Lomehuza and its larvae, which grow together with ants.

Why don't ants freeze?

It is no secret that these insects live even in the northern tundra. The range of ants in these latitudes is limited only by the depth of soil thawing. For the successful development of larvae, it is necessary that the soil has time to warm up to a depth of 10-30 cm. It is at this depth that the passages and chambers of the polar and Kamchatka ants are located.

For many, a logical question immediately arises: how do these insects not freeze in winter? After all, only the uppermost layer of soil thaws, under which permafrost remains, and in winter the ants must inevitably die. But they appear every spring even in the Far North.

The blood of ants (scientifically - in the hemolymph) contains sugary substances. Carbohydrates accumulate in a tiny body during a warm period, and when cold, they do not allow the liquid to freeze. The insect becomes able to endure even cooling down to -50 °C.

Naturally, in this case, the polar ants enter a state of diapause. They do not move and do not need food. The colony may seem extinct, because in a frozen through anthill it is easy to see the frozen bodies of ants, their uterus, and even larvae. But with an increase in temperature to positive values, they come to their senses and begin to do their usual things. Larvae in such anthills easily endure 2-3 winterings, and only after that adult working individuals hatch from them.

Species living in temperate latitudes are protected from frost both by the dome and by deeply located chambers where ants hibernate. They do not ascend to the upper &floors& of the anthill, guarded by their instinct and reduced activity when it gets cold. An inhabitant who accidentally got there, feeling discomfort at a certain level of the dwelling, simply descends into a warm zone. And only when the snow melts above, and the sun warms the upper layers of the soil, the ants will be able to open the exits from their underground palace.

Coming to the surface, they immediately begin to search for protein food for their queen. The increased feeding encourages her to start a new laying cycle. New larvae appear in the anthill, and the life of the colony continues.