# Question about isolated social insects

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-isolated-social-insects/122247
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 4, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-isolated-social-insects/122247 "2002-08-04T02:06:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-isolated-social-insects/122247/1 "2002-08-04T02:06:34Z")

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If I put some isolated social insects like worker ants, termites or bees by themselves in an environment where they could get all they needed to eat etc., would they survive separated from their colony or not?

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### Author: ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-isolated-social-insects/122247/2 "2002-08-04T03:05:24Z")

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WAG: probably. Beekeepers often have to replace the honey they take with sugar water. Of course this just relates to their nutritional needs. But it certainly shows they aren’t dependent on their fellow insects for food.

But you realize most insects only live a short while anyways ;).

HTH

😃

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### Author: ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-isolated-social-insects/122247/3 "2002-08-05T02:33:28Z")

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_bump_

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### Author: ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2002, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-isolated-social-insects/122247/4 "2002-08-05T03:47:51Z")

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look up research into chronobiology or polyethism. at least for bees (i can’t speak for other social insects), isolating the youngin’s causes them to start foraging.

so i’d say yes, they will survive.

jb