Communal Nutrition Some kinds of social insects live in large groups or colonies in which different members of the colony have different tasks to keep the colony running smoothly. Some members of the colony are responsible for providing appropriate food for the entire colony. These insects typically practice communal nutrition. They gather different kinds of food and bring it to the nest to be shared by all members of the colony. They instinctively adjust and regulate the food they provide to meet the particular nutritional needs of the different members of the colony at any given time.