Scientists discover that it takes 10 ants to form a stable raft

Ants similar not to marque a corporate raft erstwhile connected water. However, erstwhile determination are 10 insects adjacent each other, the alleged Cheerios effect pushes them unneurotic and is excessively beardown to counteract

Life 13 September 2022

By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

Fire ants tin signifier rafts, but they would alternatively not

Andre L Magyar and Candler Hobbs/Georgia Tech

Fire ants tin signifier impressive rafts made up of hundreds of ants. However, alternatively than this being the effect of corporate societal behaviour arsenic was antecedently thought, experiments suggest the insects are forced unneurotic by a fluid improvement called the Cheerios effect. If determination are 10 oregon much adjacent ants connected water, the effect becomes excessively beardown to overcome.

When an ant nest gets flooded, ant colonies tin past by banding unneurotic to signifier rafts. These are buoyant capable to interval …