Ants, ants, and more ants.

North Yorkshire Moors Moorland Organisation

Now that the weather is warming up the wood ant colonies are coming to life. This estate has an abundance of these ants in woodland that joins the moor.

Wood ants build large thatched mounds in which to live and aggressively defend both their nest and food resources. As their name suggests they are associated with woodland, coniferous forest, mixed and broadleaf woodland with well drained soils being favoured. Nests are usually south or south-east facing to maximise the amount of sunlight warming the nest.