Science Shows How Ants Care For Their Farms

It’s easy enough to think of ants as the kings of ruined picnics and biters of bare feet, but — as is often the case with animals — there’s more to them than that. Despite their small size, it doesn’t take a magnifying glass to see them being industrious little workers; still, this video goes a step further and gives an inside look at how ants operate.

The key to the ants’ survival comes from their partnerships with other species, fungi breeds and aphids well among them. The fungi give off nutrients for the ants, while the ants provide food in turn — leaves, typically — as well as offer up protection. Aphids enjoy similar security, and produce honeydew in the same way cows produce milk. Apparently, ants and their pals have done such a good job of it over millions of years that their evolution makes their benefits that much greater. To be fair, the trade-off is that they depend on each other that much harder.

It’s an interesting look at a bug’s life, even if the sight of them up close is less than ideal. Still, viewers can take solace in the fact that they’re on a screen, not crawling all over food.