Amazing Ants: How to Form a Bridge
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Have you ever watched ants working together?
I’m sure you have seen ants carrying pieces of food and communicating with other ants along the way, right? But have you seen how they work together to solve some problems? Yes, they solve problems, and I witnessed this first hand!
Ants don’t have complicated brains, but the way they solved their problem was simply amazing to me.
I was out in my garden one morning and saw a procession of red ants moving to and from a nearby rubber tree, along our gate and fence, and up to another tree. I was fascinated by the activity because there were hundreds or even thousands of them moving about as if obeying a command. Their movement was very orderly. Some would stop every once in a while to exchange some message with other ants they met along the way. Then after the brief encounter, they either continued towards their destination or changed direction.
I
followed their procession and stumbled upon something I have never seen before.Guess what I saw?
If We Hold On Together
Two ants were trying to cross a portion of the gate but they could not reach the other side. I watched them waving their legs helplessly as they tried to reach out. I think other ants sensed their "cries for help" because soon more ants appeared on the scene. Ants by the way send out signals through chemicals called pheromones.
As if a director or commander gave out a command, the ants started behaving like a team of builders. They started holding on to each other forming a chain until one ant finally was able to touch the other side and make a connection. They formed a bridge! Other ants soon used this ant bridge to cross to the other side! I immediately got my camera and started shooting away. Wow! What an amazing sight it was! Here are some photos I took that day.
If you look at the ant in the middle, it is fully stretched out and hanging on to another ant’s leg through its jaw while another is holding on to it at the other end.
I cannot imagine myself doing that at all – forming a human bridge with somebody so that other people can walk on me to the other side! I can do that figuratively though; serve as a bridge that is. But the ants did it, and I am humbled by that experience.
Build Bridges, Not Walls
After that ant experience, I have always been on the lookout for a repeat performance of that incident, but I have not been lucky yet. I have taken more ant photos doing other activities though. I will share these in another hub.
A Lesson From the Ants
Together, we can accomplish great things. No problem is insurmountable if we hold on together.
For the moment, let us build bridges, not walls and be like the amazing ants.
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Hi Invictus,
It's nice of you to drop by. You are the first one to visit and leave a comment. Thank you very much! I really appreciate it.
You are right, ants are inspiring. They are also fascinating to watch. We can learn many things just by watching them.
w0w i love ants the other day there was one on my shoe and instead of sqishingit i just sat for like 15 minuets watching it. the ant almost seemed sad or lost. then i remebered the ant hill i saw earlier and walked the ant over there. when he got there the other ants helped him inside the hill. ants are such beautiful creatures.
Hello jmfisfab,
That was a nice ant encounter! Now I have a fellow ant observer here in hubpages.
Thank you very much for visiting and leaving a comment.
Wow! This is really fascinating! On family vacations, it's tough for us to even agree on where to eat, let alone cooperate on making a bridge! There is much we can learn from these amazingly hard-working animals. Kudos to you for discovering this. Thanks!
Wooowww... Nice hub! And the pictures are beautiful! we definitely could learn a lot of ants and this hub reflects that! Thanks!
Baby,
OH MY GOSH! This gives a whole new voice to Proverbs 6:6-7. You are amazing! and have such an eye for beauty.
I too am fascinated by ants.
I once observed them, while on a long retreat at the Ignatian retreat house in Novaliches. Indeed, they are wonderful and fascinating creatures. While there, I placed roadblocks on a number of them, and as you put it, they helped each other go around the roadblocks.
From there, I meditated on these creatures, as to how much better this world of ours would be if we learned lessons from ants as far as helping each other out, especially the less fortunate amongst us.
Truly, your pictures truly illustrate such trait.
Hi dohn,
Yes, isn't it amazing that we can learn so much from ants?
Thank you very much for visiting and leaving a wonderful comment!
Hello manong,
Thank you very much! You make me happy with your comment!
Hi coffeesnob,
You know what, I had to check what is Proverbs 6: 6-7 because I was not familiar with it. Now I understand why you said "oh my gosh". I would have said exactly the same thing if I knew about it. This is really awesome!
Thank you very much my dear friend! I have long wanted to show the wonders of God's creation through my pictures. I did not realize that I have already started it especially with these ant photos.
Hello angcorics,
It's nice of you to drop by again. I always welcome your visit. Your comments are always insightful and inspiring.
Thank you very much!
nice hub and photos.. you must be baby angtuaco as I see in the pictures.. looks like a professional photographer.
Hi jadecircles,
Thank you very much for dropping by.
Yes, I'm the one. I'm not a professional photographer though. I'm just a photo enthusiast or a hobbyist.
Thank you very much for your kind words.
Jill this was most Interesting ! Ants are just a marvel of nature ! It Is amazing to me that they can carry so much more than their natural weight . Fascinating pictures too !
Really interesting to know about ants activities. Let us learn from ants, as you said not building walls, by making bridge. thank u.
Hi tony,
It's nice to hear from you again!
Yes, ants are really amazing!
Thank you very much for the visit and for your heartwarming comment.
Hello sarovai,
Thank you too!
Yes, ants are really interesting. We can learn so much from them.
Love the way you put in all the life lessons the ants can teach us. Thumbs up! Blessings:)
Hi dayzeebee,
Thank you very much for your heartwarming comment.
Blessings to you too!
Great hub and amazing pictures! Ants are incredible simply because the whole is more important than the individual.
You should and COULD be a professional photographer! Your photos are amazing!
Such a wonderful hub about this insect and how it could relate to humans working together for the common good. Just lovely!
I love seeing how wonderful God's creation is and your pics show it well. I am anxious for us to do another hub together and have an idea - right now I am soooo busy, but soon, friend. ok?
Hi Susan,
Thank you for visiting and leaving an inspiring comment.
You are right, in ants, the whole is really more important than the individual.
Hello Peggy,
Thank you very much for your kind words. They make me happy!
They inspire me to do even better!
Thanks for dropping by.
Hi Coffeesnob,
It's great to see you again! Thank you for always inspiring me.
I'm also looking forward to more collaborations with you. There is no hurry of course. I've also been busy. Anyway, I answered your email about the idea you tossed. I'm sure we will come up with something soon.
All the best!
Realliy interesting, Bible says "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!"
Thanks for the visit and inspiring comment jacobkuttyta!
Waoh, i luv d way u explain how ant communicate. I had always 1da why ant stop by each other while workin. But u just gave me d direct answer.Thanks
Very amazing prize photos! Your 'bridge' was just the absolute perfection of 'sharing' and cooperation! Wow!
Hello Kedei,
I am happy that you learned something from this hub. Thank you very much for the visit and for leaving a beautiful comment.
Hi frogyfish,
Your comment warms my heart! Thank you very much! Truly we can learn so much from ants especially about sharing and cooperation.
Nice hub. A Preacher once talked of ants in his sermon. He noted a convoy of the little creatures and followed till he found a piece of candy on the floor missed by the vacuum. He said they were busily scavaging food to cary back to their nest. He put a little salt down next to the candy, they totally ignored the salt. It is harmful and they never carry anything back to the nest that is harmful to the larvae or young ants. A great lesson for humans, we should be casreful what we bring to our "nest."
Hello Putz Ballard,
It's amazing how ants can be the subject of a sermon. They really give us much food for thought, don't they?
Thank you very much for visiting and for sharing this wonderful story.
Hello Putz Ballard,
It's amazing how ants can be the subject of a sermon. They really give us much food for thought, don't they?
Thank you very much for visiting and for sharing this wonderful story.
Really enjoyed this lesson on the ant and the photos. Oh what lessons to be learned all around us if we were as sensitive as we need to be. Great hub.Thumbs up!!
Hello jimcain,
Thank you very much! I'm happy that you enjoyed this hub. You are right, we can really learn so much from just observing things around us.
Hope to see you again!
You suggested I read this Hub. I'm glad I did. Perhaps this explains how the ants reached the refrigerator from the stove. lol
Thanks
Hi Glenn - I'm happy to see you here!
It's highly possible that this is how the ants reached the refrigerator from the stove. They are that "enterprising". That's why I call them amazing.
Thanks for dropping by!
Loved this hub Jill, I have always admired the work of ants. They are strong and tireless as they carry more than their own weight, running back and forth all day. I have also witnessed them carrying an injured ant back to the nest. What a fabulous world this would be if we took lessons from these wonderful little creatures.
Blessings
Hello Loves To Read,
It's so nice to see you!
Yes, ants are really amazing. They sure can teach us a lesson or two about life and relationship.
Thank you very much for your wonderful comment.
See you around.
God bless!
Stunning close-up's love it.
Hello Louisxfourie,
Thank you very much! You have made me very happy with your comment.
God bless!
Wonderful, Mam. I was amazed with such an observation you made and a very meaningful one! I think I must cultivate that virtue you handed down. Thank you.
Hello Vicky,
What a pleasant surprise to see you here!
Well, since I started my photography, I focused most of the time on things that people don't usually pay attention too. Observing ants and other creatures is one of those that I do. Of course I also focus on people, places and other things so I can write about them in my travel hubs. However, the little and unknown things are the ones that fascinate me most. You will be surprised at what you will discover about God's small wonders.
Thanks for the visit and wonderful comment!
God bless!
I*n*v*i*c*t*u*s 2 years ago
Such an amazing and beautiful hub. Ants are so inspiring and we can learn so much from these simple creatures. Wonderful how they work together... Your photography just brilliantly captures such a divine natural beauty! Thanks :)