How Deep Do Ants' Nests Go?

The majority of ant species nest in soil, excavating large labyrinths of pathways and chambers underneath the earth's surface. The depth of these complicated colonies can vary widely from species to species. Pogonomyrmex badius, or the Florida harvester ant, might build a nest of up to 3 meters deep each year, while Florida's largest ant species, Camponotus socius, tunnels only 60 centimeters into the soil. Japan's Messor aciculatus holds the record for deepest nests, which can extend 4 meters down into the earth.

Wood ants build their homes both down into the soil and above ground, with a typical mound being a little more than a half-meter tall and composed of leaves and twigs from the surrounding area. In 2005, an anthill was found in Northumberland, England, that stood over 1.7 meters tall, with an extensive network of underground tunnels below. Wood ants will spend the summer in the upper nest above ground, then retreat below ground in the winter when temperatures cool.

Weaver ants, rather than using the ground as a foundation for their homes, choose to build their nests high in the treetops of rainforests. Long chains of worker ants glue and clamp the leaves together with a secretion formed by their larvae. Once completed, the woven leaf nest resembles a soccer ball in size and shape.

Bivouacs are temporary, mobile nests formed by the bodies of living ants by linking their legs to one another. These nests, rather than being hidden underground, are formed in open spaces and can extend from colonies of just 80,000 ants to more than 300,000 bodies locked together.