How do ants work together? Let's find out, and let's start with one ant. An ant has six legs, and its body has three main parts. Ants range in size from tiny to about an inch long, and they live together in big groups called colonies.

Let's see who does what in a colony. The queen is the ant that lays the eggs in a colony. Almost all the other ants you see are female workers that cannot lay eggs. Worker ants find food, take care of the young, and build and defend the nest.

Now let's look at the young ants. A baby ant, called a larva, has no legs and looks like a soft white worm. Larvae cannot feed themselves, and adult ants feed and clean them. Larvae turn solid food into liquid food that the rest of the colony can use.

How do ants find each other and their food? Ants do not see very well. They find their way mostly by smell and touch. An ant that finds food leaves a scent trail, and other ants follow it to the food. Ants use scent chemicals called pheromones to warn each other of danger or lead each other to food.

Now let's look at one worker ant. Worker ants carry food back to the nest. Ants are very strong for their size, and they can lift at least 10 times their own weight. Their strong jaws are called mandibles, and ants use them to carry things and to cut.

Fire ants work together when a flood comes. They cling together and float in a group, and a fire ant raft carries the whole colony, with the queen and young in the middle. To stay safe from fire ants, stay away from their mounds and from floating rafts of ants.

Be careful with ants. Some ants can sting, and all ants can bite. A fire ant sting can cause burning, itching and swelling. If an ant stings or bites you, tell a grown-up. Trouble breathing or a tight chest after a sting means getting medical help right away.

Let's end with where ants live. Ants live almost everywhere on Earth, but not in Antarctica. Ants make their nests underground, in mounds, or in trees, and some ant colonies are huge, with thousands to millions of ants. As of November 2026, about 20 quadrillion ants live on Earth.

Words to know

• colonies: big ant groups
• larva: baby ant
• pheromones: scent chemicals
• mandibles: strong jaws

The short version

Ants live together in big groups called colonies. The queen lays the eggs, and the workers find food, care for the young, and build and defend the nest. Ants use scent to talk to each other, and as of November 2026 about 20 quadrillion ants live on Earth.

Quick facts

• An ant has six legs, and its body has three main parts.
• Ants range in size from tiny to about an inch long, and they live in colonies.
• Ants use scent chemicals called pheromones to warn each other of danger or lead each other to food.
• Ants can lift at least 10 times their own weight.
• As of November 2026, about 20 quadrillion ants live on Earth.