Many people think they can get rid of ants by drowning them or suffocating them. These methods for getting rid of ants are simply not effective because ants do not have lungs. When ants are caught in a flood, they do not necessarily hold their breath, but they do close their spiracles.
Although closing the spiracles means that water cannot flood their bodies, it also means they are not getting oxygen. Ants can survive for up to 24 hours doing this. Ants caught in a flood may appear to be dead, but they are not. Once the water dissipates and oxygen begins flowing through the spiracles again, the ant will start to resume their normal activities.
