I brushed fresh jointing sand between my patio slabs every spring just to keep it neat: the day I lifted one slab, I saw what I had been feeding for years

I brushed fresh jointing sand between my patio slabs every spring just to keep it neat: the day I lifted one slab, I saw w...

For a decade, I maintained my patio’s neat joints with fresh sand each spring. The day I lifted one rocking slab, I discovered an elaborate ant colony thriving beneath my feet—a hidden metropolis I’d been unknowingly supplying with building materials every single year.

« I thought they were just after the crumbs »: why squashing an ant on the worktop leaves the trail completely intact

« I thought they were just after the crumbs »: why squashing an ant on the worktop leaves the trail completely intact

Squashing an ant on your worktop feels satisfying, but it leaves the invisible chemical highway completely intact. These pheromone trails are built up by countless foragers and persist even after the ants are gone—discover the science behind why and what actually works.