Invasive ants are extreme excavators

Researchers in the US have revealed a secret of the success of invasive fire ants - they can excavate any type of soil. Three-dimensional scanning revealed that the insects were able to build their complex nests regardless of the size of grains they needed to move. The ants also changed their excavation techniques depending on the type of soil in which they were digging. The findings are published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. They invaded [the US] 80 years ago and they have dug nests from Georgia to LA - they can dig in anything Prof Dan Goldman, Georgia Institute of Technology Lead researcher Prof Dan Goldman, from the Georgia Institute of Technology, told BBC News that while we "shove this kind of material around using bulldozers", fire ants create complex underground structures using discreet little appendages. "They're really grasping and holding," he said.read more -http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32609797bc