Florida carpenter ants (Camponotus floridanus) bite off injured nest mates’ limbs to save them from deadly infections. It’s the first example of animals other than humans performing such life-saving amputations.
“The ant presents its injured leg and calmly sits there while another ant gnaws it off,” explains animal ecologist and study co-author Erik Frank. “As soon as the leg drops off, the ant presents the newly amputated wound and the other ant finishes the job by cleaning it.”
That ants can amputate limbs to stave off infection is a revelation to many homeowners. Those who deal with carpentry ants probably aren’t happy about this new and would rather seek out natural solutions to keep the ants away.
We have a short guide here on natural solutions to keep ants out of your kitchen. Natural pest control always starts with eliminating the habitat and food source for critters like ants. As carpenter ants can get into foundations and destroy frames of homes, non-natural solutions might need to be combined with more holistic methods.
 bite off injured nest mates’ limbs to save them from deadly infections. It’s the first example of animals other than humans performing such life-saving amputations.){kind=link}