News Animals

Ants do real estate the simple way

No site-versus-site comparison necessary, researchers suggest

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

For real-estate genius, look under a rock.

TAGGED A rock ant only a few millimeters long wears a radio-frequency identification tag. Researchers tracking the doings of individual ants propose a simplified version of how ants make real-estate decisions. IMAGE CREDIT: E. Robinson

Rock ants routinely pick the best in small, dark crevices, says Elva Robinson  of the University of Bristol in England.