Florida carpenter ants (Camponotus floridanus) bite off injured nest mates’ limbs to save them from deadly infections. It’s the first example of animals other than humans performing such life-saving amputations.
“The ant presents its injured leg and calmly sits there while another ant gnaws it off,” explains animal ecologist and study co-author Erik Frank. “As soon as the leg drops off, the ant presents the newly amputated wound and the other ant finishes the job by cleaning it.”
Life stages and kinds of carpenter ants
That ants can amputate limbs to stave off infection is a revelation to many homeowners. Those who deal with carpentry ants probably aren’t happy about this new and would rather seek out natural solutions to keep the ants away.
We have a short guide here on natural solutions to keep ants out of your kitchen. Natural pest control always starts with eliminating the habitat and food source for critters like ants. As carpenter ants can get into foundations and destroy frames of homes, non-natural solutions might need to be combined with more holistic methods.
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist and publisher that founded Green Prophet to unite a prosperous Middle East. She shows through her work that positive, inspiring dialogue creates action that impacts people, business and planet. She has published in thought-leading newspapers and magazines globally, owns an IoT tech chip patent, and is part of teams that build world-changing products to make agriculture and our planet more sustainable. Reach out directly to [email protected]
