University of Bristol Study Reveals Ants Practice Social Distancing During Fungal Outbreaks
- MM24 News Desk
- Nov 4
- 2 min read
University of Bristol researchers have discovered that black garden ants (Lasius niger) actively modify their intricate nest architecture to slow the spread of disease, effectively enacting a form of built-in social distancing. In a groundbreaking study published in Science, a team led by Luke Leckie found that when exposed to a pathogenic fungus, ants dramatically redesigned their nests by creating more distant entrances and isolated chambers, reducing disease transmission risk through environmental engineering.
Following the global human response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears we are not alone in using spatial reorganization to combat pathogens. While ants are known for their complex societies, this is the first evidence of a non-human animal architecturally altering its living space specifically to mitigate epidemic risk. "This is the first time a non-human animal has been shown to modify the structure of its environment to reduce the transmission of disease," stated lead author Luke Leckie, according to the journal Science.
The research team investigated how these eusocial insects, whose dense social networks are perfect for spreading disease, protect their colonies. They used an advanced 3D scanning technique called micro-CT to map the nests of two ant groups. After the ants had excavated for 24 hours, researchers introduced 20 new ants to each nest, with one group being exposed to spores of the Metarhizium brunneum fungus. Over the next six days, the scientists watched as the exposed colony engineered a defensive transformation.
The resulting 3D blueprints revealed a conscious redesign for disease control. The entrances to the pathogen-exposed nests were spaced significantly farther apart—on average, about 6 mm further from one another—which helped reduce crowding points at the surface. Furthermore, the exposed colonies didn't just adjust doorways; they fundamentally changed their interior layout. They constructed chambers in less central locations, creating longer and more winding routes to reach them. The ants even dug multiple alternative tunnels, likely to provide detours and avoid congested pathways, reported Science.
Perhaps the most relatable finding was the behavioral shift observed in individual ants. The study recorded increased surface activity among pathogen-exposed workers, a behavior interpreted as a form of self-isolation. To quantify the effectiveness of these changes, the team used spatial network analysis to simulate how a disease would spread through the different nest designs. The simulations confirmed that the restructured nests were remarkably successful at reducing the risk of individuals being exposed to the infection.
The combination of architectural and behavioral changes proved to be a powerful one-two punch against the pathogen. "One of our most surprising findings," Leckie explained, "was that when we included ants’ self-isolating in the simulations, the effect of the self-isolation on reducing disease transmission was even stronger in germ-exposed nests than control nests."
This suggests that the nest's new layout actively enhances the effectiveness of the ants' solitary quarantine behavior. The discovery demonstrates that disease management is a deeply rooted, multi-layered strategy in the animal kingdom, combining individual action with collective environmental engineering to protect the greater community.
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