How do ants communicate with each other? 0 8

Ants have a unique language that allows them to warn each other of dangers, inform about food locations, summon gatherings in the anthill, care for the "queen," and feed the young. Their "words" consist of chemical substances known as pheromones.

These substances are produced by exocrine glands, that is, glands of external secretion. While moving, scout ants leave trails containing pheromones, with each situation having its own concentration of these substances. When worker ants encounter such trails, they receive clear instructions on what they should do at that moment. Moreover, only ants of a specific species respond to the scent of the pheromones. Other species communicate in their own "language."

It is worth noting that even a dead ant continues to emit pheromones. Worker ants care for it as if it were alive. Even its complete immobility does not confuse them. Only after a few days does the smell emanating from the decaying body prompt them to carry it to the "graveyard."

Decomposition products contain certain fatty acids and esters, and if a living ant is smeared with these substances, it will definitely be taken to the graveyard. No matter how many times it returns, it will be immediately removed again. This process will continue until the characteristic smell disappears from its body.