{"id":2396,"date":"2022-03-01T18:39:33","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T10:39:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/?p=2396"},"modified":"2023-09-19T20:13:08","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T12:13:08","slug":"do-ants-migrate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-migrate\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Ants Migrate?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Yes, ants do migrate. However, only a few ant species do so. Most ants that transfer nests emigrate instead of migrate. This is because they don\u2019t make a return journey, a key characteristic of migratory behavior.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll learn further discuss migratory behavior in ants. Before that though, we\u2019ll learn more about migration and how it differs from other types of movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/do-ants-migrate-b-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"do ants migrate\" class=\"wp-image-3345\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/do-ants-migrate-b-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/do-ants-migrate-b-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/do-ants-migrate-b-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/do-ants-migrate-b.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Formica_japonica_(15378068538).jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">harum.koh from Kobe city, Japan<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CC B<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Y<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">-SA 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-migrate\/#What_Is_Migration\" title=\"What Is Migration?\">What Is Migration?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-migrate\/#Migratory_Animals\" title=\"Migratory Animals\">Migratory Animals<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-migrate\/#Migration_In_Ants\" title=\"Migration In Ants\">Migration In Ants<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-migrate\/#Why_is_Migration_Rare_in_Ants\" title=\"Why is Migration Rare in Ants?\">Why is Migration Rare in Ants?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-migrate\/#Related_Questions\" title=\"Related Questions\">Related Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-migrate\/#Do_Ants_Relocate\" title=\"Do Ants Relocate?\">Do Ants Relocate?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-migrate\/#Where_Do_Ants_Go_in_the_Winter\" title=\"Where Do Ants Go in the Winter?\">Where Do Ants Go in the Winter?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-migrate\/#Do_Ants_Hibernate\" title=\"Do Ants Hibernate?\">Do Ants Hibernate?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-migrate\/#Summary_Do_Ants_Migrate\" title=\"Summary: Do Ants Migrate?\">Summary: Do Ants Migrate?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Migration\"><\/span>What Is Migration?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Migration refers to the <strong>regular movement of animals from one place to another<\/strong>. It\u2019s a natural behavior caused by seasonal changes and other factors like the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Food availability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Competition<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Presence of predators<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mating opportunities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, animals migrate to take advantage of more favorable conditions. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/migration-animal\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/migration-animal\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A key factor in migration is the return journey.<\/strong> This makes it different from emigration wherein animals leave and don&#8217;t come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Migratory_Animals\"><\/span>Migratory Animals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-butterfly-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-butterfly-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-butterfly-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-butterfly-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-butterfly.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Monarch_In_May.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Kenneth Dwain Harrelson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Migratory behavior can be found in many animals. Examples include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>Atlantic salmon<\/strong> begins its life in the river and migrates to the ocean. When it\u2019s time to reproduce, it heads back to the river it was born in to lay eggs and begin the cycle all over again.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Humpback whales<\/strong> migrate for food. During summer they travel thousands of kilometers to feed near the polar ice. When it\u2019s winter, they head back to warmer waters to mate and have their young.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>In insects, migration is mostly found in <strong>locusts and butterflies<\/strong>. These insects migrate between breeding areas, feeding areas, and hibernation sites.<br><br>Monarch butterflies, for example, migrate long distances southward to avoid the cold winter. In the spring they make their way back while laying eggs along the way. When they get home, they come together with a new generation of butterflies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Migration_In_Ants\"><\/span>Migration In Ants<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Migratory behavior is rare in ants.<\/strong> Only a few species engage in a true back-and-forth seasonal movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of these species is the <em>Tapinoma sessile<\/em>. These ants practice seasonal polydomy. They move back and forth between nests depending on the season. [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tapinoma_sessile\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tapinoma_sessile\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The whole colony overwinters in one single nest. In the spring and summer seasons, they form many nests to access different food sources. When winter comes again, they all return to the same nest location to once again wait out the cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another species that migrates is <em>Formica japonica<\/em>. These ants migrate within their vertical nests according to seasonal changes in temperature. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/The_Ants_Chapter_9\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/The_Ants_Chapter_9\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_Migration_Rare_in_Ants\"><\/span>Why is Migration Rare in Ants?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s likely that <strong>migration is rare in ants due to physical constraints<\/strong>. Unlike other insects, ants generally don\u2019t have wings. Therefore, they cannot easily travel long distances. Even the ants that do migrate travel relatively shorter distances than other animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Logistically, it also doesn\u2019t seem wise for them to migrate. Moving back and forth between nests will <strong>regularly expose their queens to predators<\/strong>. Doing so puts the whole colony at risk of dying out.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Questions\"><\/span>Related Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/do-ants-hibernate-2-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/do-ants-hibernate-2-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/do-ants-hibernate-2-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/do-ants-hibernate-2-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/do-ants-hibernate-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Florida_Harvester_Ant_-_Pogonomyrmex_badius,_Lake_June-in-Winter_Scrub_State_Park,_Lake_Placid,_Florida.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Judy Gallagher<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Ants_Relocate\"><\/span>Do Ants Relocate?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, ants relocate. For the colony to grow successfully, <strong>ants may relocate to nests with ideal conditions<\/strong>. These conditions include better temperature, access to food, and less competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_Do_Ants_Go_in_the_Winter\"><\/span>Where Do Ants Go in the Winter?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most ants don\u2019t migrate but they do make it a point to <strong>seek out warmer shelter<\/strong> in the winter. They dig deeper underground or take refuge under heat collectors like rocks. Sometimes they may also enter our homes and hide in our walls and floors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Ants_Hibernate\"><\/span>Do Ants Hibernate?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants do not technically hibernate. They do, however, enter a similar state called diapause and become dormant for around 3 to 4 months. Check out this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-hibernate\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2205\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hibernation in ants<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary_Do_Ants_Migrate\"><\/span>Summary: Do Ants Migrate?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, ants do migrate. However, migratory behavior is quite rare in ants. Most ants that move nests usually don\u2019t make a return journey. Thus, in the strictest sense, they emigrate instead of migrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only a few ant species engage in true back-and-forth seasonal movement. These species include <em>Tapinoma sessile<\/em>, and <em>Formica japonica<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yes, ants do migrate. However, only a few ant species do so. Most ants that transfer nests emigrate instead of migrate. This is because they don\u2019t make a return journey, a key characteristic of migratory behavior. In this article, we\u2019ll learn further discuss migratory behavior in ants. Before that though, we\u2019ll learn more about migration&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3345,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2396"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3733,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396\/revisions\/3733"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}