Regarding ants and applesauce...

Yesterday, I cleaned out some of the budding science experiments in the back of my refrigerator. I think there is a zone back there that must utilize some sort of cloak of invisibility. No matter how hard I try, one or two bowls or jars always end up way in the back of the fridge undetected for months.

One of the jars had a little bit of applesauce that still looked OK, but I didn't want to take a chance on it. I decided to share this snack with the ants way out in my yard, so I carefully spooned the applesauce next to the edge of the ant bed.

Almost instantly, the ants scurried out of the ground to see what was up, but to my surprise, the little guys did the opposite of what I expected. Instead of crowding around and crawling all over the applesauce hill, they began a building project. Within moments, they were hauling in bits of grass, balls of dirt, and tiny twigs. They began to create a wall to cover the bottom of the applesauce hillside. Many of the ants carried items that were huge compared to their own size. It made me think that, if we had such strengths, we could walk around carrying around a pickup truck or a fully grown redwood tree with our bare hands.

They worked quickly and with purpose. I pulled up a small chair and watched them for a while. I don't know if they wanted to disguise the food source or keep it from drying out. I noticed today that they made quite a bit of progress, but the applesauce hill is still mostly uncovered. Did they give up, get distracted with another project, or do they now have a covered walkway leading to a tunnel within the the food source? I'm not sure, but I do know that watching them work was fascinating and one of the most restful parts of my day.

If you have time this week, find an anthill, pull up a chair, and see what you might discover. Just watch where you put your hands and feet. :)