Ingenious fire ants create a life raft to escape flooding | Biscayne | America’s National Parks

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This aggressive, invasive
species has few predators, But the rising water Will easily drown the ants
in their nest. Time to evacuate. ♪ The ants have
an ingenious solution. ♪ ♪ Following chemical signals
and an unspoken plan, The entire colony starts
banding together, Forming a living raft. ♪ ♪ No one is left behind. ♪ ♪ The large queen, along with her
precious larvae and pupae, Are kept safe and dry
in the middle. ♪ The rest of the ants
continually rotate position. ♪ And when underwater, Air pockets allow them
to breathe. ♪ ♪ ♪ They can remain like this
for weeks. ♪ But as soon as the raft hits
anything above the water, The colony will de-raft, And construction of
a new nest begins. ♪