Abstract. 1. Survival of four species of ants, Myrmica rubra, Myrmica scabrinodis, Lasius niger and Lasius flavus, exposed to prolonged inundation and the drinking of brackish water, was experimentally determined. 2. In most of the experiments, survival of Lasius flavus workers was much worse than either Lasius niger or Myrmica scabrinodis. 3. After inundation with brackish water, and drinking of brackish water for more than 3 weeks, survival of workers of Myrmica rubra was also more affected than that of Lasius niger and Myrmica scabrinodis. 4. As a rule, survival of dealated queens after inundation appeared to be better in Lasius flavus and Lasius niger, but worse in Myrmica rubra, compared with worker survival. 5. After surviving inundation, the capacity to produce eggs and workers was only slightly affected in queens of both Lusius species. 6. The conclusions based on the experimental mortality rates seem to be consistent both with ant species distribution and with frequency of inundation and salt stress in different parts of the coastal plain and surrounding sand‐dunes on the Dutch Wadden island Schiermonnikoog.