“Fortunate Discoveries by Accident” described her ants as dividing themselves into morticians, executives and construction workers. Her ants, like those blogged about at Gearworks, were fully fledged up to fun not long after their arrival.
H.o.p.’s ants are nearly all executives, running around not doing much other than discussing discussing, with several racing over to look at us whenever we train the magnifying glass on them. They are curious, at least, but not diggers.
All the ants have ignored the holes we dutifully punched in the NASA-developed nutrient seaweed gel. Several explored down the side where there’s a natural gap between the gel and the casing. Only one went to digging. For hours she’s been at the bottom of the gel, on the side, far away from her fellow ants. Occasionally she stops and sits so still she looks dead. I’ll think she’s dead. Then she starts up again, digging, by her lonesome. While the rest congregate atop the gel, not doing anything but discussing and cleaning themselves, one or another climbing atop the few dead and looking ready to get industrious. Then the ant will tumble off the dead ant remains and get up and come over and look at me and my magnifying glass.
Later. The one lone ant is still down the side between the gel and container, digging, kind of. She’s not getting much of anywhere. All the other ants are up top, milling around. And once again, they are quickly aware of big alien creature standing there with magnifying glass and several come over and check it out.
No point posting a picture as it would look much the same as yesterday’s.
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