Since they first hitched a ride from their native South America to Alabama in the 1930s, the fire ants empire has spread to at least 11 countries as far-flung as the Caribbean, New Zealand and Taiwan. Part of their global success is their astounding ability to organise into fabric-like rafts that can float on water for months. Like us, they are also are highly social, organised and communicate amongst each other. What can we learn from them and how can we stop the expansion of these destructive creatures?

To solve these questions, world’s foremost fire ant experts have been probing, freezing and floating fire ants in their labs. Dr. David Hu studies the simple rules that govern their cooperative behaviour. He hopes to apply this knowledge to advance the development of small robots ‘that follow simple rules and can link up with other robots to perform complex cooperative behaviours’. Dr Sanford Porter has taken up the task of containing the fire ants’ population. He hopes that with the help of the fire ant's natural enemy, the tiny but lethal phorid fly, we will be able to ‘tilt the natural balance in favour of the native ants here.’ Using stunning 3D macro photography, this documentary reveals the previously unexpected secrets of the ants.