Inside an ant community
An ant colony shares work through small signals and many busy feet.

Picture in words: 1. Explore: Worker ants search for food and information about their surroundings.
2. Leave a signal: Many ants lay chemical trails called pheromones.
3. Follow a trail: Other ants detect signals with their antennae. A trail can help them find food.
4. Care for the colony: Workers may carry food, maintain the nest and tend eggs and young ants.

One more wonder: A scent trail is a message, not a little painted road.
Observe a trail without blocking it or disturbing the nest.

Question: What helps ants detect chemical signals?
Answer: Their antennae

Sources:
Smithsonian: ant communication — https://www.si.edu/object/ant-communication-do-ants-use-smell-talk%3Ayt_7s16f2fmkEw

Reviewed 28 September 2026. Simplified educational illustration, not to scale.
https://atherverse.com/kids/how-things-work/ants/