ants great at d.i.y, repair trees housing their 'apartments'

[butters]

Ants have been seen healing wounded trees in Panama—behavior that is believed to have never been observed before.

When holes were drilled into Cecropia tree trunks, the ants emerged from their homes to patch up the wounds, significantly reducing the size of the holes within 2 1/2 hours and leaving them completely healed within 24 hours.

Details of this newly discovered behavior were published in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research. Azteca ants and Cecropia trees are known to have a symbiotic relationship, with the ants using the trees as their homes.

The trunk is like an ant apartment, with more floors added as the tree grows. Inside there are passages, allowing the ants to move around, with small openings letting them go outside. In exchange for their home, the ants defend the Cecropia leaves from herbivores.

there's some social/environmental observation going on here, about protecting our environment and looking after what's ours
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech...een-behavior/ar-AASvvfs?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531

 

[MILFYMelons]

very cool!