Black garden ants have their own 'toilet' in the nest

German scientists discovered that black garden ants have behaviors to go to the toilet in a private area right in the corner of the nest.

According to research published on PLOS One, scientists found that black garden ants (black garden ant) did not go outside to "go to the toilet" , but chose a convenient and comfortable area inside.

Picture 1 of Black garden ants have their own 'toilet' in the nest
Black garden ant (black garden ant) ​​has concentrated behavior at the corner of the nest while other wastes are carried out.(Artwork: Steven Siewert)

They raised 21 black garden ants inside artificial nest, feeding them food derived from stained sugar, creating waste of similar color. The results show that the ants "settle" in the "house" corners . Other wastes such as leftovers or corpses of the same nests are taken out.

"The insects that live in the herd have established a number of strategies for handling manure and waste, such as putting waste out of the nest and creating specialized waste chambers , " the researchers said.

"They do it not only to get satisfaction, but because it brings some practical benefits," National Geographic quoted Tomer Czaczkes, who led the study.

"In some cases, wastes and manure are reused into building materials or signs. This indicates that manure and waste are not always dangerous," Czaczkes said.

Understanding how animals treat waste and preventing diseases in crowded living conditions may suggest future waste treatment measures.