Biology
Social Immunity: Grooming and Antimicrobial Defenses in Ant Colonies
Quick fact
Ants use their own antimicrobial secretions, produced by metapleural glands, to disinfect themselves and their nestmates, and they even groom each other to remove fungal spores, a behavior that can cut colony infection rates by over 80%.
Why this is interesting
Ant colonies are crowded, warm, and humid—perfect for spreading disease. So how do millions of ants stay healthy?