#pavement ant

Pavement Ants - Tetramorium immigrans

Here we have the first video of the year, and wouldn’t you know it the Pavement Ants have gotten to work and are setting up their new colonies and territorial ranges for the year. Once again, a turf war (that extends fairly far out) is fought on the patio in hopes of maintaining a good spot for the colony to proliferate and enjoy the warm weather. The patio provides ample protection and environment thanks to the stones, lack of plants (except for mosses and small grasses) and the insects that traverse it, so no wonder it’s sought after! After the fighting ends and the territories are established, it returns to business as usual for the Ant colonies: foraging, exploring, defending, and ventilating the nest in the summer. The numbers of workers will soon shoot up again thanks to the diligent queen of the nest (and in some cases, 2 queens working together). The unusual thing to note is that despite the fighting and the massive Ant casualties as a result, in a matter of hours all traces of the battle will be gone! The next time I showcase a video of a colony conflict, I’ll make it a time lapse for as long as possible to see what happens when the dust settles and retreat is called.

Video was recorded on April 13, 2022 with a Google Pixel 4.