15 Shocking Facts About Fire Ants That Will Amaze You (#8 Even Stunned Entomologists!)

2. Super-Strength Construction

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Fire ants have architectural genius not less than amazing. These small insects can build hundreds of chambers in underground networks spanning up to 25 feet in depth. Their capacity to build these structures over a variety of soil types—from sandy beaches to clay-heavy grounds—is most intriguing. Nesting each colony is a masterwork of engineering with complex ventilation systems, water drainage systems, and temperature control chambers. The ants make a cement-like material from their saliva combined with earth particles that can resist great pressure and remain steady even in heavy rain. These buildings are so well-designed, according to research, that they have motivated human designers in creating environmentally friendly building methods.