Crumbs

Crumbs are broken-off pieces of bread, cookies, or muffins. They are a common snack for ants and other insects. Crumbs are generally light to dark brown, but may be a variety of colors. Particularly multicolored crumbs indicate high sugar content and tend to be widely sought after. Crumbs can be found in every continent except antarctica, and are most abundant at picnics and under couches. Crumbs come from large baked goods, such as bread, cookies, or muffins. They may fall during transport or mishandling by humans and other large mammals. Due to this, care should be taken when gathering crumbs, as it may indicate nearby danger.

Crumbs are renowned in the ant community for their high nutrition, ease of transport, and abundancy. They are considered a staple food by most ants.

History

Crumbs have been an important part of an ant's diet for longer than ants have been keeping records.

Relics from ancient ant cultures discovered in the late 1800s indicate earlier ants had a reverence for crumbs, and may even have considered them to be from the divine.

Legislation

In 2011, a law was passed under Queen Barant Obama requiring all schools to serve crumbs for 40% of meals given to young ants. This decision was met with mixed responses. Critics say the decision encourages unhealthy foraging habits, but lower income ants praised the law for giving their larvae more nutrients in their diet.

Monetary Value

See: Currency

Crumbs can be used in bartering, and can be considered one of the more common currencies used in most ant colonies. Crumb exchange rates rise and fall in small increments, and are considered one of the more stable forms of currency available. As of March 2025, 1 large crumb is equivalent to 3 small pebbles, .02 Ant Coin, and 36 grains of sugar.