Watch Millions of Fire Ants Band Together to Create a Bridge Over Water

If you thought that humans were innovative and good at cooperation, you need to check out these guys. A fire ant colony takes teamwork to a whole new level. Their habitat has been flooded so they need to find a way to get to dry ground. So, what do they do? They build a bridge! Even though each ant is tiny, by working together they can span a large area of water. Scroll down to see the full impressive footage of ants working together to achieve their goals.

What Exactly Are Fire Ants?

There is no single species of fire ant there are over 12,000 species that would be given this description. They are found everywhere on the planet except for Antarctica. This is a numerous creature! Experts guess that there are over 2,500,000 fire ants for every human on the planet. As you have probably guessed from this clip, they are very social animals and live in large colonies. In charge there is a queen and below her, there are thousands of workers. They have excellent means of communication that involves pheromones. These are special chemicals that alter how the ants behave. In the US, the red fire ant is an invasive species. They are aggressive and difficult to control.

Where Do Fire Ants Normally Live?

Red fire ants are a native species of many parts of South America including Brazil and Argentina. However, they made their way into the United States in the early 1980s and have been spreading ever since. They typically build their nests in soil near water and this is why they need to be able to deal with flooding! You can usually spot their nest by the mound. Beneath that, some tunnels can be 25 feet long!

Do Fire Ants Sting?

Yes, they do and the stings are painful! They inject venom into their victim which causes a nasty stinging sensation. It is very rare for these to be fatal in humans, but it can happen if the victim has an anaphylactic reaction.

Fire ant stings are usually on your feet and your legs but if they swarm around you they can be anywhere on your body. They normally start with a burning sensation and then a welt forms that develops into a blister after a few hours. The blister fills with yellowish fluid but after seven to 10 days it usually heals.

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