In the AntsCanada ant room, a series of plastic containers are connected with clear tubes. “It may seem calm and quiet on the surface,” explains ant farm hobbyist and AntsCanada YouTube channel founder Mikey Bustos, “but if we take a closer look at our ant farm set up here, we’ll discover that a great nation is bustling with life, active, and non-stop on the move.”

The “massive, ravenous fire ant colony” (Solenopsis geminata) is so large that it’s time to expand its territory. In this video from 2017, Bustos provides a tour of the different containers—Fire Ant Hill, Tropic of Pyro, Solenopsis Hill, and more—and then connects a huge new soil bin named The Fire Palace.

See how these crowded spaces change overnight as the ants move into their huge new space, instantly digging tunnels and reconstructing it for their needs. From the narration:

“You know, what I truly find amazing is that these ant hills are changing every day! Every time I look into these soil nests, they look different. With new holes, holes moved to new places, new hills… The shape and topography of the surface is always changing!

“The reason for this is that the ants constantly construct these soil homes in such a way that they provide the utmost perfect internal conditions. Their soil nests are modular on purpose, constantly changing with the varying moisture levels of the soil. Isn’t that amazing?”

“Could you imagine if your home could constantly change like this, in response to weather, in such a way it creates the perfect internal home environment?

“It amazes me just how these ants went straight to work digging and customizing, and they did it en concert, executing this massive project instinctually and efficiently. Ants are truly amazing architects, engineers, and construction workers!”

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