The Council of Bliss

Imagine yourself shrunk down to the size of an ant and standing inside an ant hill. The bustling sounds of the ants working and communicating fill the air. You can hear the sound of the ants' footsteps as they move around, carrying food and building their tunnels. The sound of the ant's mandibles as they chew on bits of food and the soft clicks they use to communicate with each other are all around you. 

Ants have complex social hierarchies and communication systems. Most ant species have distinct roles for different members of the colony, such as workers, soldiers, and queens. They use chemical signals called pheromones to communicate with each other and coordinate their activities. They also have a sophisticated system of division of labor and can even farm other insects such as aphids and tend to them like livestock. Some species of ants are also known to have symbiotic relationship with other organisms, for example fungus-growing ants cultivate fungus for food, tending and protecting the fungal gardens from pathogens.

If 8 hours isn't long enough for you, check out the 11-Hour version on YouTube.

As you listen, you can almost feel the hustle and bustle of the underground colony and get a sense of the organization and teamwork that goes into maintaining the ant hill and the colony at large.

This fascinating if not creepy video captures the unique sounds internal to an ant hill, expertly captured thanks to the wonderful audio work of briankennemer of freesound.org.