th15IH

All that depth serves a purpose. While most ants are active in the
spring and summer, winter ants prefer the fall and winter. Soil
temperatures do not vary as wildly as the temperature above
ground, so when winter’s chill plummets the air to 33°F, the winter
ant’s nest is kept insulated by the earth at a balmy 64-68°F. This
heat is important because between 40-50°F, most insects have a
serious case of freeze brain, going into what bug people call a
“chill coma,” where their muscles stop working so they can’t
move. Underground, winter ants beat the ice. Above ground, they
dig short “warming tunnels” scattered around their nest. When
they start to get cold walking around outside, they run down into
the tunnels and warm up.
Photo Gallery - Stocking up on sweets
Staying Out of Trouble
My mother always told me the best way to stay out of trouble is
to avoid it. Winter ants are masters at avoiding trouble because
they move about when trouble is fast asleep. When most ant
species scramble around gathering food and fighting one another
for space, winter ants often seal themselves tightly in their nests.
When November rolls around and other ant species tuck
themselves in for their winter nap, winter ants unseal their nests
and begin exploring the world. Because they are active when
other ants sleep, they often miss the dangerous tides of invasive
ants that can wipe out many other ant species, and therefore
persist in areas inhabited by other inhospitable ants. If they do
The beautiful winter ant, also known as the “false honeypot ant.” - ©
Alex Wild
happen to meet an adversary, they spray a toxic chemical from
their rumps that scares off or even kills the would-be contender.
How to Spot Them
At the beginning of winter, winter ants are hard to identify. Shiny
reddish-brown with lighter yellow legs, they look like your
49