Why do ants come out after it rains?

Answer by  somerset (801)

The same thing happens when you water your yard. The minute the water comes in sight of their living quarters the ants leave in colonies, often carrying eggs with them. It seems that any sign of water to ants means abandon your premises.

Answer by  Anonymous

because they cannot swim.

Answer by  SriLanka (264)

They get flushed out. Their tunnels are usually below ground and rain basically floods them out. After everything dries up, they usually return to their previous digs.

Answer by  andeesuem (24)

I think ants come out after it rains because their tunnels have flooded. It's like that with earthworms also. These animals live underground so when their tunnels fill with water, they will drown if they stay there. I think they get oxygen from between the grains of soil and when it rains those tiny spaces fill up with water.

Answer by  elaine (450)

Since a large part of an ant house in the wild is underground, a rainstorm eventually floods the premises and all the storage tunnels. Those ants who survive climb over the bodies of those who didn't and get out.

Answer by  Bernard (69)

Because their borrows will flood and ants need air to survive. Ants do not use lungs to breathe. Like all insects, ants breathe through microscopic holes in their body, these holes push air though out the body by muscle contraction, and rain water will block these holes. Thereby suffocating the ants.

Answer by  Anonymous

They will drown if they stay there