Colony Life Stages
From fragile founding to mature wisdom
High Founding Mortality
90% of newly founded colonies die within their first year. The queen, alone with no workers, must survive long enough to raise her first brood.
This high mortality is why only mature colonies reproduce - they must achieve surplus and security first.
Five Life Stages
Colonies progress through distinct stages: Founding (0-100 ants), Establishment (100-1,000), Growth (1,000-10,000), Maturity (10,000+), and eventually Senescence.
Each stage has different behavioral characteristics and risk profiles.
- Founding - High mortality, aggressive exploration
- Establishment - Developing specialization
- Growth - Rapid expansion, full caste differentiation
- Maturity - Stable behavior, colony reproduction
- Senescence - Gradual decline
Age-Dependent Strategy
Young colonies take risks old colonies avoid. This makes biological sense - young colonies have less to lose.
Our system implements growth gates that change behavior as the colony matures.
Key Concepts
"Older colonies are more prudent. They've survived long enough to have something to protect."
Summary
90% of newly founded colonies die within the first year. Surviving colonies progress through five stages: founding, establishment, growth, maturity, and senescence. Only mature colonies reproduce - they must achieve surplus and security first.
Lessons from Ants at Work