# Squeaking ants **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 4, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squeaking-ants/421539 "2007-10-04T19:52:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![paranoidandy91](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@paranoidandy91](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paranoidandy91)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squeaking-ants/421539/1 "2007-10-04T19:52:36Z")
A year or so ago I was walking around my neighborhood when I saw a large group of ants on the sidewalk. The ants seemed to be attacking each other because I saw that there was much chaos and many ants were dead. I had a bottle of water with me at the time so I poured some water on them for my amusement. At that moment, I started hearing what sounded like a very faint screaming. Knowing that ants could not scream, I looked around me to see if the noise came from elsewhere, but I was in an isolated part of my neighborhood where there is little activity. After confirming that no one was around me, I poured water again on the same ants one more time, and the noise came again. Thinking little of this, I continued my walk, but when I thought about it more I realized that the event was very strange. However, by the time I wanted to go back to the ants and check what I heard, it began raining and I assumed that they would have washed away. After going crazy about whether or not ants can make such noises, I’ve decided to come here. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squeaking-ants/421539/2 "2007-10-04T20:22:55Z")
[When Ants Squeak](http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20000205/bob12.asp). I’ve also heard recordings of some species that sounded like dogs barking. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squeaking-ants/421539/3 "2007-10-05T00:33:15Z")
I’ve heard squealing come from concrete when water is poured on it. I would bet that’s what it was. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squeaking-ants/421539/4 "2007-10-05T00:42:12Z")
That’s possible - it could have been air fizzing out of the concrete as water soaked in. But ants do squeak, so it’s possible it was the insects.