[TrickyMartin] Peeing Ants

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Author Message Martin Schwenk (Trickymartin) Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 - 10:50 pm:        Find out why in the ant species Cataucalus mucitus, sometimes the whole ant farm pees almost at the same time. Barbara Johannessen Bailey (Rabrab) Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 - 10:51 pm:        Pheromones relevant? Martin Schwenk (Trickymartin) Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 - 11:22 pm:        Pheromones relevant? no Dena Elbling (Ladyzinga) Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 - 11:24 pm:        pH relevant? Einar Berg (Grainbeer) Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 - 11:28 pm:        Sun position relevant? Mosquito (Mosquito) Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 12:50 am:        are these the ants commonly known as formica ants? John Morahan (Wunderland) Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 1:35 am:        coincidence? Shawn Franchi (Doctapeppa) Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 1:53 am:        Water sources relevant? Martin Schwenk (Trickymartin) Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 1:23 pm:        pH relevant? no Sun position relevant? no are these the ants commonly known as formica ants? not as far as I know, but I'm not sure there. What do formica ants do? coincidence? no Water sources relevant? yes Mosquito (Mosquito) Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 3:31 pm:        Formica ants spray formic acid when they are disturbed. Eliot (Eliot) Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 3:44 pm:        Is it because the all drink water at the same time? If so, do they all go to the same water source? Is their water source(s) plants? Small puddles? Bodies of water? Underground? Mezzoforte (Mezzoforte) Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 3:58 pm:        They like to swim? Shawn Franchi (Doctapeppa) Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 5:23 pm:        Rain? Martin Schwenk (Trickymartin) Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 9:05 pm:        Formica ants spray formic acid when they are disturbed. I see. It's not them, then. Is it because the all drink water at the same time? yes If so, do they all go to the same water source? yes Is their water source(s) plants? Small puddles? this is the closest, but not quite it Bodies of water? Underground? They like to swim? no Rain? is relevant, yes LEWIS ZEITERS (Lzeiters) Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 11:52 pm:        reproduction somehow relevant? Ian (Image) Posted on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 12:31 am:        flooding of colony/nest/hill/whatever its called? Brian Pamandanan (Sciguy47) Posted on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 3:27 am:        For protection? Mezzoforte (Mezzoforte) Posted on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 4:33 pm:        svv of pee? Martin Schwenk (Trickymartin) Posted on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 4:47 pm:        reproduction somehow relevant? no flooding of colony/nest/hill/whatever its called? bingo, we have a winner For protection? yesish, see above svv of pee? nope Martin Schwenk (Trickymartin) Posted on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 4:49 pm:        ***** Spoiler ***** Find out why in the ant species Cataucalus mucitus, sometimes the whole ant farm pees almost at the same time. Short answer: The ants have their nests in giant bamboo, which gets flooded (by rain) every now and then. Their solution: Start drinking. Hundreds of ants fill up on the unwanted water seeping in their colony and head outside to excrete it away from the nest. Long answer: see here.