A nine-year-old naturalist has observed wood ants huddling together like penguins to survive the winter. Meg, writing for Young Country Diary, described seeing ants emerging from their nests on a frosty morning in Devon.
Wood ants enter a state of hibernation during the colder months, gathering at the bottom of their nests in large groups to conserve heat. Meg noticed a few ants moving sluggishly around a mound of soil and pine needles, possibly roused by the morning sun.
“In winter, wood ants go into a sort of hibernation. They go to the bottom of their nest and, like penguins, huddle together to keep warm,” she wrote. The ants were busy repairing the nest in preparation for spring.
Wood ants are among the largest ant species in the UK, despite their small reputation. They defend their nests by spraying a substance from their abdomens, which Meg described as smelling like fish and chips.
Meg and her family spotted several more nests as they walked back to their car, noting that once you know what to look for, the mounds are easy to find.
