My Bellwether: The Ants

I have a love and hate relationship with the rainy season of Kolkata. What I love about it is the instant relief from the scorching heat. At my age rain doesn’t bring romance, only relief. Now what I hate about it is it’s unpredictability.

Rain predictions in the city are often worse than astrology. Their predictions often go awry. But meteorologists are smart, with their latest technology the wrong predictions can easily be laid on the doors of El Nino or some such things.

The ants in my house are better at predicting rain, better than the weathermen. I do my own predictions based on the behaviour of my army of ants. If rain is imminent, I see an organized line of red worker ants carrying eggs in their mandibles to safety in the crack of a wall. There are also some mean looking ants foraging the ground for dead insects that they will carry for storage, literally for the rainy day.

https://youtu.be/JWWBKPPS99Q

From the school lessons learnt long ago, I remember that ants can carry more than three times their weight. I marvel at their feat. They go about their assigned duties with purpose and are a treat to watch. I see them communicate and cooperate by using chemicals, known as pheromones, sound and touch.

I also feel sorry for the worker ants. They are all wingless females that never reproduce. Their life is spent on foraging for food, care for the queen’s offspring, work on the nest, protect the community and perform many other duties.

My sympathies are with male ants who have only one role – mating with the queen, to produce each year, a new generation. During the breeding period, females and winged males will leave the colony on their nuptial flight in which the males will die. That will happen during the hot and humid post-rainy season when the nets on my windows will keep the winged visitors away from bothering me.

I have always marvelled at the ant community, headed by a queen. Her life’s mission is to lay thousands of eggs, after mating with the winged males. This will ensure the survival of the fortress like colony. But I have never seen a queen ant.

I wish the soldier and worker ants will invite me at the coronation of their queen or queens. I will let my imagination run riot and visualise her court. I will stand erect and will bow to Her Majesty and thank her for allowing her army to predict weather for me.

Now the time has come for me to introspect and leave the ants to finish whatever they are doing. They have sensed rain in the air and rain it will. May be this time both my army of ants and the weathermen will be right at least for once.

19 Likes

Hello @Gautamda ,

Thank you for sharing this incredible story with us, I really enjoyed reading it. The facts and the humour are really catchy!

What a great idea to predict the weather according to the character change of animals and insects. It reminds me a bit about the birds and animals who are able to predict an earthquake, by suddenly leaving the area.

Ants are amazing, mysterious, and indeed they spend their lives working. I remember when I go to my grandma’s place and while sitting on the terrasse, I use to contemplate them and see how they carry every possible thing.

1 Like

@BorrisS

Thank you very much for your kind words. I would have been happy if I could upload a 12 second video clip of the ants dragging some food. Since I had done the video in iPhone I just couldn’t upload it. Can you help?

By the way I have traveled in the deserts of Rajasthan long time back on camel back. Beautiful memories of that trip still lingers in my mind. Regards.

2 Likes

You’re welcome @Gautamda , it was a real pleasure reading your post!

As an answer to your questions, please have a look at the following link, it will redirect you to the solution.

1 Like

@BorrisS

Thanks for the guidance regarding linking video in the connect post. I have been able to do it and you can have a look at my post, My Bellwether: The Ants and see my video.

Warm regards.

2 Likes

Very well written @Gautamda Enjoyable and informative to read…

1 Like

@Sarath-Ab

Thanks I will have a look at the video.

Warm regards.

1 Like