Does stepping on ants actually attract more ants?

Every year around this time, when the doors of the house open, we start eating the fresh spring air through the window screens, and the kids eat watermelons and popsicles every day (attracting many small six-legged intruders). , I wonder: Is it true that stepping on ants will increase the number of ants? Because, as the main kitchen cleaner in my house, I’m the chief antkiller by default.

EWhen you start crushing ants at a glance in the very spring, you wonder if the old maxim is a living thing Somehow know It is true that one of their brothers has fallen. I heard this potential myth somewhere in my life And never checked it out. Can these little brain pests really understand when one of their companions kicks a bucket?

Surprisingly, that’s right. (Ali runs a complex organization.) Accurate pest control“Ant are wonderful creatures. They usually send groups for investigation. When you crush an ant, the liquid releases a pheromone, alerting nearby ants to danger. When the investigation group encounters a dead person, They return to the birdhouse and convey important information. ”

What kind of information is it exactly?Well, someone they know is dead, and-get this-they have their corpses Grave-It is not a graveyard with statistical tombstones or flowers.Kind of creature called Shell moundThis is what the website is Incompatible animals It is described as “ant garbage dump and burial ground”.

Wait, the ant colony Funeral director?? Again, yes. (We told you — it’s complicated.) Ants participate in a biological process known as necrophoresis.Hygiene behaviorSocial insects such as ants, bees, bees, and termites carry colony carcasses elsewhere. ” To prevent disease and infection from spreading throughout the colony. If you’ve seen anthills a lot, you may have noticed the activity of this insect’s casket attendant.

So, when you crush an ant and leave, you basically get a figurative flare signal that yells at all the victim’s friends and family. An ant that died here. Come and catch him! ”

So don’t do that. Instead, if (let’s face it) when You crush the ants in front of you, be sure to remove the scent, so that people far away will not be able to tell their death to their crew. Spruce Vinegar, baking soda and water paste, cinnamon, or, Outside, use chalk to draw a thick line around the presence of ants. (I prefer to dispose of my body with a quick split of vinegar and water, followed by a thorough wipe with paper. Towels, to get rid of evidence. )

If There are more than a few visitors to deal with, Try one of these methods I’ve written before to get rid of the ant epidemic.