If you have ever seen a long line of ants each following the other, you may have wondered about their discipline. After all they are mere insects but they seem to do better than a drill squad when it comes to following each other down the path. The reason that they can literally step into the ant before them’s footstep is to do with a set of chemicals called Pheromones.

Pheromones are the secret to successful communication in an ant hill and outside it. There are nearly 20 different pheromones that come together in different combinations to enable successful communication of messages such as location of food, path to a nesting site, presence of a predator, and being able to defend their territory.

Each species of ant may use a different version of this pheromone language. These chemicals are secreted from the body of the ant in the manner that will be understood by the other ants. These chemical “words” help the ants survive and thrive. That’s why the ants will always toe the line of pheromone trails when they walk outside the ant hill. Now if only there was an equally effective way for human beings to communicate, maybe a science project is required to come up with a universally understood language.