Which food groups are ants most attracted to, and

how do they help them in their metabolism?

Naishe Chivandi – 2694307

Introduction

Like any other living organism, ants require a variety of nutrients to support their metabolism,
growth, reproduction and overall health. The aim of this study is to investigate which food groups
ants prefer the most and how that preference ensures their overall survival as a species. The main
objective is to make a fair comparison among three foods from different nutritional groups and
determine the number of ants drawn to that food. Sugar, chicken and margarine will be used in this
investigation to represent carbohydrates, proteins and fats respectively. Majority of the ants should
be attracted to the sugar as it is an important source of carbohydrates. Ants use carbohydrates as a
quick source of energy for nest maintenance, foraging, and many other activities essential for the
survival of their colonies. Another prediction is that very few ants will be attracted to the margarine
probably because it does not have a strong scent and the nutritional benefits it provides are less
valuable than those in the sugar and chicken.

Methods

Study Site

An ant’s nest located on level bare ground with patches of dry runner grass close to the nest will be
used in this experiment.

Experimental Design and Protocol

Place a tablespoon of brown granulated sugar about 5cm away from the ant’s nest. Record the
number of ants that are drawn towards the sugar in a period of 2 minutes. Remove the sugar and
repeat the experiment with the same food sample. Write down an average number of ants that
were drawn toward the sugar during the two separate time intervals. Redo the first four steps using
a 2cm wide piece of chicken and a tablespoon of margarine. The distance between the food samples
and the ant’s nest should be kept constant to avoid biased results. Experimental procedures should
be carried out in the afternoon for two consecutive days.

Data Analysis

When experimental the whole procedure has been completed, compile a table of results with all the
average number of ants per food sample for the two days. This will be the raw data for the
experiment. After compiling the table, convert each average per food sample to a percentage. This is
achieved by dividing the total number of ants attracted to a particular food with the total number of
ants in all the food samples and multiplying the result with a hundred percent. A graph of
comparison among the three food samples will be plotted from the percentage of ants attracted to
each food sample.