eli5 – How do ants know where there is sugar?

Question

How do ants know I’ve dropped a piece of candy in my room and gather their squad to eat it when there were no signs of ants previously? Do they smell that there’s sugar? Even so, how? The world seems so huge to them to know where to scout

In: 232

Answer 1

Do ants have a memory of toxic food?

For example, i gave those parasites some poisonous gel. At first they ate it but when i gave them more few days later, they tend to ignore it.