 Ants - Marvelous Picnic Sweeps
Ever since I was a very young I've been enamored with ants. Watching them go about their many tasks is fascinating, and I've always found it completely absorbing... almost meditative - time seems to slow down, all other thoughts evaporate.
Two ants at entry to their sand and pebble hill.
And, this time of year is great time to look for ant hills. The hills can be solo, in tandem, or in colonies. Look along your driveway, along trails in meadows and woodlands. Ants of one kind or another have populated every land mass on Earth except for a few very remote islands and Antarctica. If you do not find them, they are sure to find you at your next picnic. And, welcome them for they are marvelous picnic sweeps who clean up all the tiny crumbs left from your meal.
Ant hill colony.
Interesting Facts
- It is estimated that 22,000 kinds (species) of ants live on earth. Only about 14,000 of them have been identified.
- Ants do not have ears to hear but sense vibrations through their feet.
- Ants leave a scent (pheromone) trail behind them when foraging so they and others in their colony will know where they have been.
- Ants can make up up to 25% of the ground dwelling animals biomass in an ecosystem. Large ant colonies can house millions of ants.
- An ant can lift 20 times it's body weight!
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Activities for Children and the Young at Heart
- Determine how much you could lift if you were an ant. Formula = 20 x (your body weight) = your ant strength. How much can you as your human self lift? What is the greatest weight a person has lifted? How does this compare to ants?
- Play the Good Vibrations Game. You need at least two players. One is the vibration maker, the other is the vibration sensor. The vibration sensor places their hands over their ears and closes their eyes. The vibration maker then either softly or strongly stamps the ground. If the vibration sensor feels the vibration they call out, "Good Vibrations!" Try different surface types: bare ground, grass lawn, wood deck or floor, a concrete or asphalt driveway. Be sure everyone gets a chance to be a vibration maker and a sensor.
- Go on an ant discovery hike. Record the different types of ant hills and ants you see. Are all the hills made of sand, or pebbles? Can you find some made with pine needles or other materials? Are all the ants the same size, the same color?
- Read or listen to E.O. Wilson's Tales From the Ant World. He is a leading expert on ants. Edward's book recounts his fascination with ants starting as a young child in rural Alabama through to his amazing career as an ant scientist and work at Harvard. Read all of his books! They are terrific!
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