DEEP THOUGHTS: OKITI OGAN (The Ant Hill): Lessons from a colony of ants
OKITI OGAN
(The Ant Hill)
LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THOSE
TINY ANTS.
While passing by in a
semi-urban neighborhood the other day, I noticed a brown mound around the tree by
the wayside. Little ants of different sizes and shapes went in and out in such
an orderly and organized manner that I couldn’t
but have a few lessons to learn from the little beings.
The mounded nest that ants
build out of dirt or sand is called an anthill. You can call a similar mound
built by termites an anthill too. While an anthill is a kind of nest, it is
generally formed when ants dig underground colonies and deposit the extra soil
in one spot.
An ant colony is a
population of a single ant species capable of maintaining its complete life
cycle. Ant colonies are eusocial, communal, and efficiently organized and are
very much like those found in other social Hymenoptera, though the various
groups of these developed sociality independently through convergent evolution.
(Hymenoptera is one of the largest orders of insects and includes many species
of bees, wasps, hornets, sawflies, and ants.)
The typical colony consists
of one or more egg-laying queens, numerous sterile females, workers, soldiers
and, seasonally, many winged reproductive males and females. In order to establish
new colonies, ants undertake flights that occur at species-characteristic times
of the day.
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Often this comprises the
genetically related progeny from a single queen, although this is not universal
across ants.
"Ant nests" are
the physical spaces in which the ants live. These can be underground, in trees,
under rocks, or even inside a single acorn.
The name "anthill" applies to above ground nests where the
workers pile sand or soil outside the entrance, forming a large mound
A supercolony occurs when
many ant colonies over a large area unite. They still continue to recognize
genetic differences in order to mate, but the different colonies within the
super colony avoid aggression.
Ant colonies have a complex
hierarchical social structure. Ants’ jobs are determined and can be changed by
age. As ants grow older their jobs move them farther from the queen, or center
of the colony.
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These worker ants can only
lay haploid eggs producing sterile offspring. Despite the title of queen, she
doesn't delegate the tasks to the worker ants.
The ants choose their tasks
based on personal abilities.
Ants as a colony also work
as a collective "super mind". Ants can compare areas and solve
complex problems by using information gained by each member of the colony to
find the best nesting site or to find food.
The ant colony is so much
similar to the human world but one then wonders why and how they are so
organized and we are not.
In the colony every ant has
a role.
The queen is the most
important in the colony.
Yet she does not force roles
on the inhabitants of the colony. Each ant type takes a role according to its
ability. A reproductive will not covet the role and preferences of the worker.
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Soldier ants diligently
protect the queen and the larvae and never fail or waiver.
Workers perform their duties
providing for the rest of the colony. They never go on strike.
If the human “colony” was a little like the ants, what a beautiful and peaceful world it would have been.
Like the baby ants, if our youth are fed, protected and allowed to mature into
whatever rolls they are good at, the world would have been better off.
The queen is the head of the
colony. It has a role; procreation. It doesn’t venture into other ants’ roles.
Neither do others covet her natural role as a lazy drone.
The different members have
an information network among themselves which helps make up one solid network.
They share information from their beats freely and seamlessly. Put together
they keep the colony working like clock work.
The ants live happily with
each other without any rancour in the colony.
Super colonies are like the committee of nations. Different colonies cohabit, living together and sharing resources and facilities. Each colony does not infringe on the other’s territory. No wars and no boundary conflicts.
Ant species cohabit and there are no “inter-tribal” skirmishes.
There is mutual respect
within and among colonies.
Each plays its role without
let or hindrance.
There is no envy or jealousy.
There is no greed or
avarice.
There is no need to amass or
covet.
No one wants to lord it over
the other.
Like in a football team
where every player has his role, life
has a role for everybody.
That is why the little tiny
ants are able to administer their anthills better than the human race runs their
world.
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Wherever life has placed
you.
The C.E.O.
Your Excellency
Oga at the top
Family head,
Community leader
Group Leader or Administrator
The lowly and the little
people
The poor and the needy
The artisan and the labourer
There’s a role for everybody
AND......
THERE IS A LESSON TO LEARN FROM THOSE
TINY ANTS.
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