March along this trail and see how many ants you can spot. Can you believe there are an estimated 10 quadrillion ants on earth?! Scientists have identified more than 11,000 species of ants worldwide. Minnesota has more than 100 ant species.
Along this trail, you will have the opportunity to view many ant mounds. Two smaller ones are located right near this cache. Be careful not to step on them! Ant mounds in our area can be as large as 2.5 feet high and 9.5 feet in diameter. Several mounds can be interconnected. Some Minnesota ants prey on spiders and flies. Others will “farm” aphids for honeydew. Especially on sunny days, you can watch the ants scurrying around and going about their business. Sometimes they will cover their nests with needles which help warm and melt the early spring snow.
Learn more about ants in Minnesota.
