They run in that circle until they die because they’re all following the one in front of them.
Comment on RIP
sexy_peach@feddit.de 5 months ago
Why is it bad when ants do it?
Triple_B@lemmy.zip 5 months ago
JoShmoe@ani.social 5 months ago
Can’t you redirect their focus by dropping something nutritious nearby?
paddirn@lemmy.world 5 months ago
You probably could and that might redirect their focus for a bit, but I would think if they’ve lost the scent/trail back to their hill (which is the original cause for the death spiral in the first place), they’re permanently fubar’d, since they’ll never find their way back unless by accident. It might just delay the inevitable.
Mirodir@discuss.tchncs.de 5 months ago
I would assume you could redirect them to where the scent trail is present/stronger again, i.e. very close to their hill.
registrert@lemmy.sambands.net 5 months ago
They’re just following the trail of pheromones ahead of them. It goes around in circles so they’ll just walk and walk until they die of exhaustion.
Never heard about it so had to read up on it, it’s as obscure as a rat king to me.
funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
rat kings are mostly fake though
idegenszavak@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
Current sience says it’s very rare, but can happen naturally. There are multiple confirmed modern sightings.
funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
I did say “most,” 1963, 2005 and 2021 are the only real ones I can find.
Compared to there being dozens in the 17th and 18th centuries
registrert@lemmy.sambands.net 5 months ago
What makes you say that?
funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
reason why i said “most” not “all” most examples are from the 17th and 18th century when proof was hard to ascertain and there have only been a handful of modern occurring examples since the prevalence of science and photography
systemglitch@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Circle of death! Rip circle ants.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 5 months ago
How do we make this just, you know, happen I fuckin hate ants
kattenluik@feddit.nl 5 months ago
There’s zero reason to hate ants? What a lame comment.
ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 months ago
They won’t stay out of my fucking kitchen so I hate them too. Seriously never had this bad of a problem until this house, I too would like to know how to weaponize circle pits in my kitchen.
If they could read the “no ants allowed” sign we’d be alright, they’re free to live their lives, until they become home invaders, then I have to defend myself.
TeraFloppy@lemmings.world 5 months ago
Have you had ants setup shop in your coffee maker before, or you cereal? Ants that follow you to work in your butt crack somehow? Lucky you.
DanyBGoode@mujico.org 5 months ago
Would like to know as well.
ehrenschwan@feddit.de 5 months ago
I believe they usually follow the trail of the ants walking infront of them so when they’re walking in a circle they’ll technically walk in a circle indefinitely.
TofuWater@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Ants follow eachother in a line so they don’t get lost on their way back to the nest. When they’ve lost track of the scent for any number of different reasons back to the nest they will follow the ant in front of them for guidance eventually turning into a “death spiral” seen in the picture. The ants are lost and will never find their way home and will march to their deaths.
Th4tGuyII@kbin.social 5 months ago
This death spiral/"ant mill" is actually quite short, though still deadly - in the worst case scenarios, a death spiral can be literally kilometers long, some ants might not even make a single revolution around it, which is kinda terrifying to think about.
Monkeyhog@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I’m not an ant, so it’s not really scary at all to me.
SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 months ago
You don’t follow the pheromones of a fellow humans when you lose track of home?
DesolateMood@lemm.ee 5 months ago
:(
misterdoctor@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Makes you wonder why they’d shout hurrah in that situation.