“Why don’t ants go to church?”/“Because they’re in sects.”

An ant riddle is:
   
Q: Why do ants not go to church?
A: Because they’re in sects (insects).

 
The joke has been cited in print since at least 2008.
 
       
Google Groups: alt.messianic
Where Do Darwinist Atheists Get Their Moral Values?
Tokay Pino Gris
May 11, 2008, 11:54:21 AM
(...)
That’s another sect.
 
Heard a joke two days ago… Why don’t ants go to church?
 
(It even works in english…..)
 
Twitter
Chris Horak
@choirshark
here is one for the groaner fans: why do ants never show up for regular church service ... they’re in sects .. Urgh (courtesy of @_sakurah_)
5:44 PM · Dec 17, 2008·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
Tina Blaschke
@TinaB68
why do ants not go to the church?
because they are in-sects
3:20 PM · May 3, 2010·Twitter Web Client
 
Reddit—Funny
Posted by u/debrained September 6, 2010
Why do ants not go to church?
Because they’re in sects.
         
Reddit—Funny
Posted by u/weltraumMonster December 20, 2010
Why do ants not go to church?
...because they are in sects.
       
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/[deleted] February 2, 2012
Why don’t ants go to church?
because they are in sects
 
Twitter
Tim Smells
@timmysmells
Why don’t ants go to church?
Because they’re in sects.
6:38 AM · Jun 3, 2013·Twitter Web Client
 
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/qutqum October 13, 2014
Why don’t ants go to church?
Because they are in sects!
 
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/AmlSeb January 11, 2015
Why do ants not go to church?
Because their in sects
 
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/N4tri October 6, 2015
Why is it forbidden for ants to go in a church?
They are in-sects
     
Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/[deleted] October 23, 2018
Why do ants don’t go to church?
Because they are in sects
   
Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/BlackRoseLizzy April 19, 2019
Why don’t ants go to church?
Because they are insects.
 
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/bolousesreddit March 8, 2020
Why don’t ants go to church?
Because they are in sects.
   
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/FearlessJoJo June 16, 2021
Why don’t ants go to church?
Because they are in sects.
 
Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/zu-den-sternen August 3, 2021
Know why you don’t see ants in churches?
Because they are in sects.
   
Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/MrWholesomeDad December 30, 2021
Why do ants never go to chuch?
Because they’re in-sects.