In Grounded, there are many hidden areas to uncover to progress in the game, and the Black Ant Lab is one place that is well concealed but essential to visit to get one of BURG.L's missing Super Chips. Helping the robot BURG.L find the missing Chips throughout the backyard open-world setting is part of Grounded's main plot as the main characters try to uncover what happened to them and get home, but it's essential to players what order they find them.
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This guide describes where to find the Black Ant Hill Lab, how to navigate the ant tunnels to reach the Black Ant Lab Super Chip, and how to defeat the final Assistant Manager boss at the end of the lab.
Where Is The Black Ant Hill Lab?
The Black Ant Hill Lab is located in the top-middle of the trash pile in the southwest corner with 2 possible Black Anthill Descent entrances. Before setting off, it's best to bring a gas mask and at least 2 explosives, such as a Bratburst or Splatburst from red ant eggs, as these are needed to unlock key areas to progress. It's also worth bringing plenty of bandages or other healing items.
To find the Black Anthill Descent in the trash, follow the south side of the sandbox past 2 juice boxes until a Billy Hog cap is visible, where there is a small opening in the trash with a large rotten apple. Equip a gas mask, as rotten apples in the trash produce toxic fumes that diminish health. Fortunately, players can chop up any apples they find using the tier 2 Insect Axe to dissipate the pungent aromas. Follow the path left past more rotten apples to the AARTZ 3000 computer.
The Black Anthill Descent is located just in front of the nearby cooler box, and it's essentially a large hole in the ground. Players are best running past Black Soldier Ants and their buddies guarding the anthill entrance rather than fighting their way in, but are likely to encounter more ants inside the tunnels.
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There's also a sneaky tunnel in the sandbox that connects to part of the black anthill tunnels, and this is also a Black Anthill Descent on the map, although players taking this route best watch out for dangerous antlion bugs and the deadly Sizzle.
How To Find The Black Ant Super Chip
The BURGL chip in the Black Ant Lab is a Black Ant Super Chip variety, but to reach it, players must first navigate the tunnels and labs, plus overcome a reasonably challenging boss called the Assistant Manager. Players must find, access, and navigate Level A and B lab areas before reaching the Assistant Manager boss, where they can find the Super Chip once the boss is defeated.
How To Access Level A
Head into the tunnels and keep running forward, dropping down the ledge and turning right in the large slime mold stalk area until red wiring is visible on the ceiling at a fork in the road. Turn left and follow the path to find the Black Anthill Lab main entrance, with a locked Level B door at the bottom and a locked Level A door to the right. Destroy the rock above the Level B door using an explosive and press X on an Xbox controller to mash the keys on the terminal to the left once inside to unlock all Level A lab areas.
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Follow the lab round to the left, destroying any robots along the way. Head back to the main lab entrance area and inside the previously locked level A door. Once inside, descend the roots in the floor and through the open hatch to drop into a new lab area with a storage chest on the right to loot and shelves containing lots of supplies behind a set of Ominent beds, including mint, granola bars, cookie sandwich bits, and more. It's best to use the beds to set a respawn point before proceeding.
How To Access Level B
Once collected all supplies from the shelving, descend the slope to the left to find another console, which players can use to unlock all Level B areas. Continue forward and exit the lab area, following the red wiring on the ceiling round and back to the original main lab area to the unlocked Level B door, below the blasted rock area from earlier. Follow the path inside, and on the left, there's an optional blastable rock leading to a Mega Milk Molar and clay.
Continue to find a large open area with several Black Ant Soldiers next to a large glass wall and a button at the top by a small glass-encased room not currently accessible. Destroy any lingering ants, press the button, and use an explosive to enter the boss battle arena space. It's time to battle the Assistant Manager to reach the final lab area containing the Super Chip, and the battle begins when players press the terminal button inside that reads 'Intruder Alert.'
How To Defeat The Assistant Manager Boss
The Assistant Manager is a robotic boss that deals electricity damage, creates environmental hazards, and spawns TAYZ.T and ARC.R enemies. Although the battle is fairly challenging, adequate preparation and watching its attack patterns can help players win more easily. To prepare, choose relevant mutations and hot-equip healing items such as Sticky Slop or Omelant discovered in earlier chests.
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Quickly destroy the Assistant's minions and attack up close, watching out for the Assistant's electric bouncing ball attacks. The Assistant also turns on rotating orange lasers to jump over or crouch under, plus activates electric blue pillars in each corner that cause significant damage. It's best to stand in the center of either longest wall at this point and shoot the Assistant Manager with arrows until it's possible to get in close.
When defeated, players pick up the Assistant Manager's Keycard and discover the Shocking Dismissal Mutation, which gives players a chance of electricity damage from their weapon, similar to the discoverable Pinch Whacker. To access the BURG.L Super Chip, use the Keycard to open the locked battle arena door and head through the central door on the upper level. The Black Ant Super Chip is on a table in the room. In the adjoining room on the platform, players can also find a final locked door next to a whiteboard that hints this is only accessible once the MIX.R machines in the yard are activated.
To exit the lab, ascend several slopes around to the top leading from the room containing the Chip. By the exit, there's a final chest on the right containing various supplies and a button on the left to exit the lab, bringing players to the East side of the large hose next to the trash and an unlocked shortcut door to the lab if players ever return. The Black Anthill lab now appears as a map icon.
What Does The Black Ant Super Chip Unlock?
Once finished in the lab, return to BURG.L in the Great Oak Lab and speak to him to return the Super Chip. The Black Ant Super Chip unlocks the recipe to the Embiggening Cocktail, which is essential to the continuation of the main story as it helps power the Embiggening Cell next to the SPAC.R platform.
The Super Chip also enables players to buy new recipes from BURG.L's Science Shop using Raw Science, including the recipe to craft a Glue Masher for crafting Repair Glue and the Mighty Glob recipe for weapon upgrades using a Smithing Station.
Grounded is available to play on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S and is included in Xbox Game Pass.
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FAQs
How do you beat the black ant hill lab grounded? ›
Destroy any lingering ants, press the button, and use an explosive to enter the boss battle arena space. It's time to battle the Assistant Manager to reach the final lab area containing the Super Chip, and the battle begins when players press the terminal button inside that reads 'Intruder Alert.
How many bombs do you need for the black ant lab? ›You will also need a few explosives, so be sure to bring at least three!
How do you investigate the black ant lab? ›Head right from the tunnel entrance and walk towards the busted metal tunnel with a giant rock blocking the entrance. Huck a bomb at the rock - from a safe distance - and enter the corridor. Turn left, and interact with the biometric scanner to access another room. Defeat the Tayz.
What weapon is best for black ants grounded? ›They are recommended to be killed with a level 5 tier 1 weapon, or more preferably, a good tier 2 weapon like the Stinger Spear to exploit their stabbing weakness. The Crow Crossbow or Insect Bow is also very effective, especially if the player can shoot them in the eye.
How do you beat the ant invasion? ›- Clear ant-tempting food away. ...
- Clean surfaces vigorously. ...
- Remove sources of water. ...
- Find and seal the exterior of your house. ...
- Clear out ant nests. ...
- Waft strong-smelling substances. ...
- Try natural ant control remedies.
The best move is to purchase and use a non-repellent pesticide if it's located outside. A repellent pesticide works by dispersing the colony, which gives it a chance to reform elsewhere and lead back into your house. A non-repellent will put poison directly into the colony and cause the ants to die.
Which ant is stronger red or black? ›While the red ant is clearly more destructive to the humans and prey that it is around, black ants are generally more bothersome than harmful to people.
Does bombing work for ants? ›Bug bombs, also known as total release foggers (TRFs), are aerosol propellant pesticides that come in a can and are released in a single burst. They are used to kill flying insects, such as mosquitoes, as well as crawling insects, such as cockroaches, fleas, and ants.
How do you ant proof? ›Seal openings
Blocking all of the routes ants use to get into your home is one of the most important things you can do to prevent an ant infestation: Use a silicone-based caulk to seal cracks and crevices around your home. Check weather stripping and replace it if needed. Repair any loose mortar around your foundation.
The Black Anthill Lab is one of the many Ominent labs strewn across the Backyard. The lab itself is located deep within the Black Anthill and is split into two sectors, Sector A and Sector B. You must gain access to Sector A with the use of an explosive, and gain access to Sector B by going through Sector A.
Does red ant armor work on black ants? ›
No. Black ant armour does not work like red ant armour.
Is the black ant lab hard? ›The Black Ant Lab in Grounded is your last major exploration trial and one of the most challenging yet. Not only is reaching the lab a chore, but a powerful boss awaits you at the end as well.
What is the strongest bug in Grounded? ›- Wolf Spider. 69.6%
- Stinkbug. 8.8%
- Ladybug. 18.1%
- Other (tell us who!) 3.5%
A lone Black Soldier Ant can easily be tackled with a tier 1-2 weapon and most armor, though a large swarm such as the ones found in the Black Anthill should be tackled with a level 1-5 tier 2 weapon such as the Stinger Spear or Red Ant Club.
Will ant colonies fight? ›Large ant colonies with tens or hundreds of thousands of members engage in all-out war with other colonies as they compete for resources.
What does killing the queen ant do? ›Unfortunately for the ants' colony, when the queen dies, the worker ants can only survive for a few months. The colony dies off rather quickly because the workers cannot reproduce. When there's no queen to lay eggs, the workers die off, and there are no new ones hatched to replace them.
Should you squish ants? ›It is advised not to squash ants, doing so will only release pheromones and trigger more ants to come to the location and cause more trouble to you and your family. Ants are known to pack a deadly bite that causes excruciating pain for a short time.
What does soldier ant hate? ›Distilled White Vinegar
A white vinegar and water solution is a common method to wipe out ants for good. Ants don't like the smell of vinegar. It not only repels them; it can also kill them.
Bees are much stronger than ants as they possess a defensive weapon called a stinger, with which they can kill ants seconds after stinging them once. But, an army of ants can be a problem, significantly if the hive is weakened.
What happens if you take the queen ant? ›The answer is straightforward, the colony will eventually die as well. Ants don't flee to another territory or nest if their queen passes away. Instead, they continue bringing resources back to their settlement until they die of old age or external causes.
Is there Tier 3 in Grounded? ›
The Tier 3 Termite Axe is an essential tool for resource gathering in Grounded. Here's how to get your hands on it. In Grounded, the Tier 3 Termite Axe is a desirable and essential tool to craft as an upgrade on the Tier 2 Insect Axe.
What is the strongest sword in Grounded? ›The Club Of The Mother Demon doesn't just have a fantastic name; it's also one of the strongest weapons or tools in the Backyard.
What does a queen fire ant look like? ›Queen fire ants will have a large head and thorax making them stand out from the normal worker ants. Queen fire ants normally have wings at some point in their lives, so looking for wings or scars on their backs from where a set of wings would have been shed is a good indicator that you have found a queen in the mound.
What is the weakest ant? ›It's Myrmecia Nigriceps. * Myrmecia nigriceps, also known as the black-headed bull ant, is a species of ant endemic to Australia.
Are bug bombs toxic to humans? ›Foggers can cause illness in people and pets. Breathing fog can result in nose and throat irritation, difficulty breathing, coughing, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, or allergic symptoms. Contact with skin and eyes can also cause irritation.
Can you bomb for spiders? ›Users need to be aware that bug bombs for spiders primarily contain repellents, meaning they will likely drive pests to other parts of the house instead of killing them. Residue around the home can also prompt asthmatic symptoms, and flammable aerosol propellants come with a risk of fire or explosion.
How many flea bombs should you use? ›Use only one flea bomb in one room. One is enough to reach and kill as many fleas as possible. Make sure you place the flea bomb on a flat sheet such as cardboard or newspapers to avoid any floor stains.
What smell scares ants? ›Peppermint
Peppermint is a natural insect repellent that may effectively deter ants and other bugs, such as mosquitoes. To use peppermint essential oil as an ant deterrent, complete the following steps: Mix 10 to 20 drops peppermint essential oil with 2 cups water in a clean plastic spray bottle.
Both cayenne and black pepper repel ants. Ants hate cayenne pepper. Black pepper will work just as well too. Locate the source of the ant infestation problem, sprinkle some pepper around that area and if possible, create a wall that will stop the ants from accessing your household.
What powder kills ants? ›Diatomaceous earth (DE) is not only inexpensive and effective; it's non-toxic to kids, birds, and pets. And yet it destroys ants, earwigs, slugs, beetles, ticks, fleas, cockroaches, and bed bugs. As these pasts move across the powder, it sticks to their feet and legs only to get into their joints and exoskeleton.
How do you get black ant armor Grounded? ›
- Analyze Black Ant Mandibles.
- Reach Brainpower Level 9.
To open the Haze Lab, players need to use an explosive such as a Bratburst or Splatburst crafted from a mixture of ingredients, including a red ant egg at a workstation.
What order should you do the labs in Grounded? ›...
We suggest this order:
- Hedge Lab (if you didn't go already)
- Pond Lab.
- Haze Lab.
- Black Anthill Lab.
The Fire Ant Armor is the third addition to the Ant Armor sets, which also includes normal and Black Ant Armor. The Fire Ant Armor, however, is the best of them all. To get this tier 3, 15-point armor, you'll have to kill no other than fire ants.
What kills red ant colonies? ›Boiling water
The hot water kills ants on contact and destroys the inside of the nest. Step 1: Boil a large pot of water. Step 2: Poke a hole in the fire ant mound with a dowel or broom handle. Step 3: Slowly pour the boiling water into the hole.
The Argentine Ant Supercolony, the largest ant colony on Earth, is located in the Mediterranean region and spans more than 6,000 km (3700 mi). It stretches from northern Italy through the south of France, and out to the western coast of Spain.
What is the strongest ant ever? ›In this article, we're going to look at these dangerous ant species. The bulldog ant is currently recognized as the most dangerous ant species in the world. Located in Australia, this extremely aggressive ant will both bite and sting at the same time, injecting venom strong enough to kill a grown man in 15 minutes.
Can you outrun army ants? ›If you're capable of walking at a normal speed, you can outrun the ants. In real life ants do have some consequences for agriculture, but the relationship is a lot more complex than simply eating crops.
Who is the final boss of Grounded? ›Director Schmector is a optional secret boss enemy found below Castle Moldorc in the Mysterious Lab. It is the final boss of the game, and one of the hardest non repeatable bosses. Killing it is required to unlock the good ending and save Dr. Wendell Tully from his raisining.
Is there a black widow in Grounded? ›There are an array of Spiders you'll encounter in the backyard of Grounded, but the most deadly is the Black Widow. Once you reach the upper part of the backyard, you'll be able to find them in a few locations.
What is the best Tier 2 weapon in Grounded? ›
For players starting off, we recommend getting the Red Ant Club - probably the easiest Tier 2 weapon to get in the game.
What barrier will ants not cross? ›For the same reason, ants won't cross a chalk line. Their pheromone trail is being temporarily disrupted, causing them to search in a different direction to find the trail again.
Can you get black ant eggs in Grounded? ›Location. Black Ant Eggs are a resource obtained from Black Worker Ants only after they've dropped it on the ground in the Black Anthill. Alternatively, they can be taken directly from the egg chamber, deep within the Anthill.
What happens if you hatch a ant egg Grounded? ›Red Ant Eggs are laid by Red Worker Ants in the Red Anthill. They can be picked up by players, but will hatch once their countdown timer is up regardless of whether they're on the ground or in players' inventory/storage. Upon hatching, either a Red Worker Ant or rarely, a Red Soldier Ant, will spawn.
How do you get through the ant hills Grounded? ›As you may have already experienced, going through the main entrance to the anthill is difficult. But there is a very simple way to solve the problem: make 3 pieces of red ant armor, called red chitin armor, and wear them together .
Is black ant armor good in Grounded? ›Black Ant Armor is a Tier 2 armor set made from black ant parts. The piece effect +Crit After Block increases the chance of landing a critical hit after blocking. Its sleek effect increases stamina regeneration after getting a critical hit on a target.
How do you break the ant pheromone trail? ›Another magic cleaner, baking soda is a great tool to help remove the scent trail of scouter ants. Combine the baking soda with water to make a scrubbing paste, then apply it along the trail. You can also use baking soda in dry form, sprinkling it along the trail and in any cracks and crevices.
What happens if you take an ant egg in Grounded? ›The main function of ant eggs in Grounded is to make explosives using a workbench, such as the Bratburst, which players also need to make other types of explosives like the highly sticky Splatburst.