how do ants in ant colony know what’s their role? Are they trained for these roles (soldiers, farmers, etc.)? Are there ants that go through “career changes” and switch roles?
In: Biology
I don’t know about ants but I know a bit about honey bees if that will do? Please delete if not.
Bees have different roles as they mature. Freshly hatched bees clean up, moving debris out of the hive and keeping the combs that contain larvae clean.
Then they become nurse bees, nurturing and feeding the larvae.
Next they move on to processing incoming nectar, making honey and capping the honey combs. Some of these bees also tend to the Queen.
It’s only the older workers that leave the hive and forage. When I say old, they live about four to six weeks.
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