[angryantant]

> To investigate whether the high mortality of injured individuals is due to infection by pathogens, we collected soil from the natural environment and applied it to the wounds of experimentally injured workers (i.e., a sterile cut in the middle of the femur on the hind leg of an otherwise healthy ant).

> Eleven colonies, including queen and brood (colony size 1083 ± 258 ants), were excavated and placed in artificial nests in the field stations laboratory.

> Afterwards the injured ants were placed inside a cylindrical glass container with a diameter of 3 cm and a height of 5 cm.

> To test for mortality, the injured ant was checked upon once per hour for the next 36 h, if no reaction was observed even after shaking the container the ant was classified as dead.

I could never do this job.