Monday, May 23, 2011

Ants Fighting

Hummingbird feeders can be an effective way to attract hummingbirds to a yard, particularly if there are also some shrubs where the birds can rest and appropriate flowering plants where they can feed. The feeders in my backyard attract hummingbirds occasionally – usually during migration or post-breeding dispersal. On most days, the feeders seem to attract more insects than hummingbirds. Ants in particular find them a good place to visit.

Yesterday, I noticed that two of the ants on top of the feeder seemed to be having a dispute. I am not sure what was at stake; it is possible that they were workers representing two different nests or colonies. The ants had locked their jaws together and were pushing each other with their antennae waving at each other.

On it went, with the ants pushing each other all around the top of the feeder. At times their movements seemed almost like a dance. Finally, one seemed to gain the upper hand and pushed the other off the feeder.