@Heliograph

I don't know enough about crows to say if they "pass down the knowledge from generation to generation" but crows absolutely do get on ants nests, get the ants all upset so they spray formic acid, and do this for crow Health Reasons.

They are not the only creatures who do this. So-called "anting" is very upsetting for ground nesting ants. It's just rude IMO.

I *do* know crows will "pass down" other knowledge, such as which humans can be trusted. But is "anting" passed down?

@Heliograph

The main reason I wonder if it's really "passed down" is not because crows don't pass down knowledge. They seem to.

But many birds and some other creatures participate in "anting" much to the distress and confusion of the ants.

@futurebird @Heliograph Do crows not pass down knowledge? This study came to mind (I think I've read a couple of others too). Are there some that refute that conclusion that you know of?
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.0957

@Heliograph @futurebird

That is quite right as I understand it. Though not sure about the role of formic acid.The benefit to the ants is their predation on the parasites?

You will think me quite mad but I visited my doctor some years ago about what seemed to be quite severe arthritis in my knee. I was wearing a knee support and it affected my walking.

I visited some wood ants and knelt down to take some photos of them dismembering a dead wasp. Three or four of them stung me. Two stings near my knee. Within a day, my arthritis symptoms had gone.

@Cheeseness @Heliograph

Crows pass down knowledge. I just wonder if they pass down anting in particular ... when it's found in other birds.

@lionelb @Heliograph

There isn't really a benefit to the ants in anting. The parasites on birds are too small for ants to catch and eat. This is more like the birds exploiting the ant's natural response to a nest attack to get a formic acid bath.

It's not like the little cleaner fish and birds that clean the teeth and scales of larger animals.

But, other than unwanted excitement and wasted formic acid it's not that harmful to the ants.

I guess it's like a fire drill in a way.

@lionelb @Heliograph @futurebird Therapeutic Potential of Bee and Wasp Venom in Anti-Arthritic Treatment: A Review - PMC https://share.google/6vVNuhb3uvOOLCITR Would guess ant venom may work similarly?

@Ashmire @lionelb @Heliograph @futurebird

Old beekeepers in my beek group swear by a few stings in the hands to keep the arthritis at bay

@wendypalmer @Ashmire @lionelb @Heliograph

...
...

is a beek a ... bee geek?

@futurebird @Ashmire @lionelb @Heliograph

it should be! But no, just short for beekeeper

@wendypalmer @Ashmire @lionelb @Heliograph

Please don't tell them I said that...

@futurebird @Ashmire @lionelb @Heliograph

They’ll love it!

@wendypalmer

I suppose we could call antkeepers

'antkeeps"

Which sounds kind of medieval.
"consult the local antkeep about that issue"