What Is a Group of Ants Called?

What is a group of ants called? There are actually a couple of different answers to this question.

Here are a few different names for a group of ants:

• When a group of ants forms a nest in an underground mass, this is referred to often in common vernacular as an “anthill”
• However, when you come upon an anthill and see them functioning as a group, the proper term to refer to the grouping is “colony”.

Anthills or colonies often form underneath debris or in cool, dry, dark places. The ants that live together in groups in these colonies act as one social being and function as their own independent unit. They form their own family structure, with a hierarchy and a working class, and they all live in the same vicinity.

The ants in the colonies each serve different functions. The worker ants, for example, may be responsible for bringing food back to the nest for the other ants that are part of the "anthill" or colony. The "queen" is responsible for reproduction.

If you encounter such a group of ants, you may believe you can "disperse" or kill the ants by pouring water on them. However, interestingly enough, ants can actually live submerged in water for several days so this will not be effective unless you also use some type of apple cider vinegar mixed in with the water.

So, now you know both what a group of ants is called as well as how to deal with a colony of ants or "anthill" if one forms where you do not want it to form.