Ants also know to disinfect

According to Swiss researchers of the University of Lausanne, ants also know how to apply public health protection measures. They have doubled the survival rate by using chemicals to disinfect ants.

Formica paralugubris ants in the Vaud region of the Jura mountain range, Switzerland, often release 7 to 8mm diameter plastic pellets from spruce trees or on the ground and then bring them all over the nest.

This mucus inhibits the growth of at least two potentially dangerous microorganisms for ant colonies, including Pseudomonas fluorescens and Metarhizium anisopliae.

This method of disinfection is especially beneficial for the environment, since the resin does not carry pathogens that affect ants.

Bees also use turpentine from shoots and bark to block the gaps in the nest. Some studies in the 1980s have demonstrated that birds nest from plant materials that contain volatile substances that act against parasites.

VN