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Post by IceWhyte on Sept 11, 2011 15:12:28 GMT
Hello, Some days when it is slightly cold I like to treat the ants to a little heat using the heatmat, which is stuck to the bottom of the tank. As soon as it heats up the workers take the larvae out to the hottest part of the nest. Does anyone know why they do that and if it benefits the larvae in anyway? Cheers  |
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Post by Blem12 on Sept 11, 2011 16:33:03 GMT
Hello,
Workers do this so that the larvae and other brood can be heated. This is beneficial for the larvae and other brood as the warmth produced by the heat mat will speed up the growth rate which in turn, will be beneficial for the whole colony as that means workers will eclose at a quicker rate.
Blem12.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Sept 11, 2011 16:44:34 GMT
Warmth speeds up the development of all three forms of brood. Blem12 has it all covered.  |
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Post by IceWhyte on Sept 11, 2011 17:01:14 GMT
Cheers, Do you know how the warmth actually makes them develop quicker? Think I will put it on more often then.
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Post by keroumnome on Sept 11, 2011 22:11:05 GMT
I guess the heat increases the speed of cell division during the various stages of development.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 12, 2011 7:59:10 GMT
Cheers, Do you know how the warmth actually makes them develop quicker? Think I will put it on more often then. Cellular growth is inhibited at low temperatures, as the larva's metabolism slows down and they consequently eat less. Larvae can survive down to almost freezing point, depending of course on the species and where it lives on the planet; but at extreme low temperatures the larvae hibernate like their adult sisters do. Very high temperatures will bake ants and their brood alive, but the nurse ants tend to place brood where it will be right for brood development. This is why many British ants like to nest under stones, as the stone reflects away too much excess heat, but the stone gets warm enough to act as an incubator. A temperature that is fine for say Myrmica rubra would be a bit low for ants like Atta or other tropical ant species. If you are keeping Messor barbarus for instance, they like it warm, but will also adapt well to room temperature as long as it has some form of heating during the winter months. A heat mat gives off warmth without getting too hot, so this is why your ants take their brood to that area. |
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Post by IceWhyte on Sept 12, 2011 11:03:08 GMT
Cheers for that. Makes perfect sense. Its amazing how sensitive they are too heat. Almost as soon as I turn the heat mat on, they move all the eggs and Larvae over. |
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