The threat of death is no obstacle for some hungry fire ants. To escape drowning while feeding on sugary water, black imported fire ants built syphons out of sand that moved the water to a safer spot.

The nectaries offer sugars, amino acids, lipids, and other nutrients to the ants. Once a scouting ant finds that nectar, she lays a scent trail back to her nest and recruits other ants to come to the ...