Why Do My Ants Stay Holed Up in the Nest?

Possibility 1: Unfamiliarity with the environment

Ants that have just arrived in a new environment

are like any animal that has not yet adjusted to a new place.

After all, the nest may not be one they built themselves,

so they first need to get familiar with their surroundings

and judge whether the environment is safe

and suitable to live in.

Only once everything checks out

will they leave the nest to look for food and fill their bellies.

Possibility 2: The nature of the species

Another possibility is that this species simply does not move around much

and tends to stay at home.

But there is no need to worry.

When ants are hungry, they will definitely come out to eat;

you just happened not to see it.

Or else the species is nocturnal

and only comes out to forage at night, e.g. the “stinky” carpenter ant (臭巨山蟻, a Camponotus species).

So there is no need to keep worrying!

Unless they are sick, ants will never let themselves go hungry.

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