My ants moved to a new nest. Which ant said, "Let's go, Road Trip!"?????

Yeah, it's strange. I had a nest of little, tiny golden brown ants in my back yard. They were never in the house or any problem. They had a 6 inch high mound. I ran it over with the mower. The very next day, they had built it back up. After a while I mowed it down again. They moved their nest just over the property line. The land next to me is protected state game lands. I thought that it was kind of cool. They moved from a mowed area to a not mowed area. Now, we're talking about ants. How did they figure out where to move, and who's the ant that said "Let's go. Road trip!!!!" I'm so amazed by them.

And, yeah, I got way too much time on my hands.
Rick
 

I would think by their very nature and way of existence that it would have been a majority, democratically reached decision.
Just think! No planning applications! No Bureaucracy! No building materials to buy. Just up sticks and build wherever!
 

Yeah, it's strange. I had a nest of little, tiny golden brown ants in my back yard. They were never in the house or any problem. They had a 6 inch high mound. I ran it over with the mower. The very next day, they had built it back up. After a while I mowed it down again. They moved their nest just over the property line. The land next to me is protected state game lands. I thought that it was kind of cool. They moved from a mowed area to a not mowed area. Now, we're talking about ants. How did they figure out where to move, and who's the ant that said "Let's go. Road trip!!!!" I'm so amazed by them.

And, yeah, I got way too much time on my hands.
Rick
I wonder about such things, too, Rick. Studying any type of behavior can be really intriguing. Here is some info on the Ant:

http://www.ehow.com/info_8765248_ant-adaptation.html
 
I would think by their very nature and way of existence that it would have been a majority, democratically reached decision.
...

But aren't they ruled by the Queen? Sounds like a monarchy to me. She must have gotten her panties in a twist about the lawn mowing and huffed off.
 
I would think perhaps 'Ma'am' was too busy churning out sprogs and just allowed the 'workers' to get on with the traumas of relocating.
 
Well, I thought about them having an election. Half the ants would be watching FOX and the other half watching MSNBC. At the election, they'd all be waiting for the screwed up ants in the Florida section of the nest. But I think ants, being better evolved, must have come up with a better solution. Seriously, how did they "decide" to move instead of rebuilding their nest. And was it just by chance that they moved to a safe site?
 
Well, NancyNGA, about them being the same ants, I'm sweating one of them in my interrogation room. But as of yet, he hasn't talked. I doubt the new nest was there when I mowed the old one down. Could these be other ants that moved into the new site, while the old nest died out -yeah. Thanks for the really nice site about the ants-until it wanted me to shut my ad blocker off. Uh,Uh.
 
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