50 Ant Quotes That Are Truly Fascinating

By Norbert Juma

Master quote curator and editor on a mission to inspire

Published May 13, 2023

Ants are fascinating creatures, and so are the ant quotes below.

We have created a list of the most impressive quotes about ants.

In addition to our quotes section, we have also included interesting information about ants.

So, without any further ado, let’s dive in!

A Brief Intro to Ants

Ants are known to be among the most fascinating insects.

These insects come with a wide range of interesting and unique features.

Ants have been there for millions of years.

These creatures are found on every continent (except Antarctica).

Additionally, ants are critical in creating balance in our ecosystem.

There are more than 12,000 known species of ants.

Being social animals, ants work together and live in colonies.

This helps them survive and thrive through the odds in their lives.

The most noteworthy and well-researched behavior of ants is their ability to work and live in a colony.

These colonies can be large or small, and all the ants associated with a colony have a common goal.

The social structure of ants is amazing too.

Each of the ant colonies consists of the following:

A queen
Female workers
Male drones

The responsibility of laying eggs rests on the queen.

Male drones perform the duty of mating with the queen.

On the other hand, female workers do all sorts of different tasks, including:

Gathering food
Taking care of the young
Defending the colony

How Do Ants Communicate

To communicate with each other, ants take advantage of a chemical known as Pheromones.

Ants use a specific type of Pheromones to communicate a particular signal.

This communication method allows ants to share information about food sources and dangers.

In addition, ants also possess a well-developed sense of smell.

This ability allows them to find their way and recognize their fellow ants.

Ants and Our Ecosystem

Ants are essential for creating a balance in our ecosystem.

These insects help to control the population of other insects.

Ants also play a key role during pollination.

Apart from helping with seed dispersal, ants are also important for nutrient cycling.

Why Ants are Essential for Agriculture

There are a lot of ways in which ants can be beneficial for our agricultural needs.

Ants are referred to as natural gardeners.

Different activities of the ants play a key role in improving soil fertility.

Some ant species are also known to cultivate fungi for food.

Besides, certain other types of ants protect plants from herbivores.

Ants also serve as a natural way to control pests.

Top 10 Ant Quotes

Here are the top ant quotes by famous literature and art related personalities.

1. “Ants are a curious race.” — Robert Frost

2. “Life is priceless even to an ant.” — Liu Xiaobo

3. “An ant has no quarrel with a boot.” — Tom Hiddleston

4. “I wonder what ants do on rainy days?” — Haruki Murakami

5. “The ant’s a centaur in his dragon world.” — Ezra Pound

6. “An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox.” — Laozi

7. “Do not kill ants. They are your best friends.” — Joe Brainard

8. “Ants, fighting together, will vanquish the lion.” — Saadi

9. “There is no need for ants to have the ability to fly.” — Karl Pilkington

10. “All good work is done the way ants do things: Little by little.” — Lafcadio Hearn

Ant Quotes About Hard Work

These ant quotes show the hardworking nature of ants and will inspire you to work hard.

11. “Ants are good citizens: they place group interests first.” — Clarence Day

12. “The whale is endangered, while the ant continues to do just fine.” — Bill Vaughan

13. “Next time you see an ant, remember: winter is coming! The best time to prepare for tomorrow is today.” — Haddon W. Robinson

14. “The elephant needs a thousand times more food than the ant, but that is not an indication of inequality.” — Mahatma Gandhi

15. “In many environments, take away the ants, and there would be partial collapses in many of the land ecosystems.” — E. O. Wilson

16. “What reason, like the careful ant, draws laboriously together, the wind of accident sometimes collects in a moment.” — Friedrich Schiller

17. “When many work together for a goal, Great things may be accomplished. It is said a lion cub was killed By a single colony of ants.” — Sakya Pandita

18. “I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy. Never give up, look ahead, stay positive, and do all you can.” — Jim Rohn

19. “If all humans disappeared today, the earth would start improving tomorrow. If all the ants disappeared today, the earth would start dying tomorrow.” — David Suzuki

20. “The ant, who has toiled and dragged a crumb to his nest, will furiously defend the fruit of his labor against whatever robber assails him. So plain, that the most dumb and stupid slave that ever toiled for a master, does constantly know that he is wronged.” — Abraham Lincoln

Ant Quotes to Inspire Your Mind

These tiny creatures hold much wisdom! Dive into our collection of ant quotes for inspiration and insights that will expand your mind.

21. “I do not see why we should not be as just to an ant as to a human being.” — Charles Kingsley

22. “The work on ants has profoundly affected the way I think about humans.” — E. O. Wilson

23. “May this house stand until an ant drinks the ocean and a tortoise circles the world.” — Jonathan Carroll

24. “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” — Henry David Thoreau

25. “People, chained by monotony, afraid to think, clinging to certainties… they live like ants.” — Bela Lugosi

26. “How narrow is the vision that exalts the busyness of the ant above the singing of the grasshopper.” — Kahlil Gibran

27. “People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. And most of them spend their lives getting squashed.” — Lauren Oliver

28. “Even Kings and emperors with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of God.” — Guru Nanak

29. “Every ant knows the formula of its ant-hill; every bee knows the formula of its beehive. They know it in their own way, not in our way. Only humankind does not know its own formula.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky

30. “The men of experiment are like the ant; they only collect and use. But the bee…gathers its materials from the flowers of the garden and of the field, but transforms and digests it by a power of its own.” — Leonardo da Vinci

Humorous Ant Quotes

Laugh out loud with our collection of humorous ant quotes that will make you smile. You would also love sharing with others.

31. “Ants in the house seem to be, not intruders, but the owners.” — Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

32. “If ants had nuclear weapons, they would probably end the world in a week.” — Bert Holldobler

33. “I would like to live a day in the life of an ant and hope not to get squashed.” — Kiowa Gordon

34. “When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all.” — E. O. Wilson

35. “The ant is knowing and wise, but he doesn’t know enough to take a vacation.” — Clarence Day

36. “Not to engage in this pursuit of ideas is to live like ants instead of like men.” — Mortimer Adler

37. “If ants are such busy workers, how come they find time to go to all the picnics?” — Marie Dressler

38. “Kings may see their palaces fall, but the ants will always have their dwellings.” — Eugenie de Guerin

39. “Finally he was just another ant, working and working until he died without meaning.” — Haruki Murakami

40. “I discovered that if one looks a little closer at this beautiful world, there are always red ants underneath.” — David Lynch

Ant Quotes About Knowing Ants

These quotes related to ants will help you know more about ants’ nature and life.

41. “A whale out of water is over-run by ants.” — Laozi

42. “Ants and savages put strangers to death.” — Bertrand Russell

43. “Not all ants use violence to dominate their world; some use more subtle methods.” — E. O. Wilson

44. “Still we live meanly like ants, though the fable tells us we were long ago changed into men.” — Henry David Thoreau

45. “The ant is a collectively intelligent and individually stupid animal; man is the opposite.” — Karl von Frisch

46. “The iron rule of nature is: you get what you reward for. If you want ants to come, you put sugar on the floor.” — Charlie Munger

47. “It’s only when you look at an ant through a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realize how often they burst into flames.” — Harry Hill

48. “Even kings and emperors, with mountains of property and oceans of wealth – these are not even equal to an ant, who does not forget God.” — Guru Nanak

49. “As a thinker and planner, the ant is the equal of any savage race of men; as a self-educated specialist in several arts, she is the superior of any savage race of men; and in one or two high mental qualities, she is above the reach of any man, savage or civilized!” — Mark Twain

50. “If army ants are wandering around and they get lost, they start to follow a simple rule: Just do what the ant in front of you does. The ants eventually end up in a circle. There’s this famous example of one that was 1,200 feet long and lasted for two days; the ants just kept marching around and around in a circle until they died.” — James Surowiecki