Rock Ants Do Their Research When Considering A Move!
Temnothorax albipennis, or rock ants, require the perfect home to provide safety and productivity of their queen and her offspring. They regularly consider whether to move to a better property or remain in the current one, but unlike humans who have to struggle with housing bubbles, ants seem to invest in their housing market in consistent and rational ways.
According to the University of Bristol, rock ants continually monitor the local real estate market so they know exactly what new homes are available.
Their search is tuned to the quality of their current nest. It seems that when they're living in poor conditions, they really pick up their search for a more ideal abode. Conversely, when they're living in the lap of luxury, they tend to search less.
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PhD student Carolina Doran of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences says, "This strategy of adjusting their information gathering according to their actual needs and the real value of higher rungs on the property ladder may help ants to evaluate their housing market in a measured and thorough way that puts many of us to shame."
So, can we learn something from these ants?
