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Polar Vortex Ant Casualties?


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6 replies to this topic

#1 Offline CampoKing - Posted January 30 2019 - 1:39 PM

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Oh gosh, I just had a thought: How many hibernating wild colonies might be wiped out by that polar vortex?  The research I've seen says that ants have a cold hardiness to only about 1 degree F.



#2 Offline Ants4fun - Posted January 30 2019 - 2:19 PM

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Well, I was hibernating a colony of aephenogaster outside with cover. I was gone on vacation and it dipped too far below zero and they died. Ground and wood usually provide enough insulation for most colonies, and ants can used to northern climate can freeze completely and still live.

Edited by Ants4fun, January 30 2019 - 2:19 PM.

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#3 Offline CallMeCraven - Posted January 30 2019 - 3:25 PM

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I would imagine above ground, wood dwelling colonies would be hit the hardest, while established ground dwelling species will be able to get deep enough below the frost line in the soil to ride out most of the cold. Soil has some pretty amazing insulation properties.


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#4 Offline dspdrew - Posted January 30 2019 - 5:20 PM

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I would think that temperatures that extreme would kill quite a few colonies of ants. Seems like it would kill a whole lot of insects. I'm talking about the places that are like -30F.



#5 Offline Canadian anter - Posted January 30 2019 - 7:46 PM

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Temnothorax colonies lose most of their population every year apparently.
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#6 Offline AnthonyP163 - Posted January 31 2019 - 9:29 AM

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Temnothorax colonies lose most of their population every year apparently.

Indeed, colder winters really do have an affect on ant populations, especially Temnothorax. I am afraid that these temperatures may have weakened or killed the Strumigenys sp. that I find in just one forest, since this is extraordinarily north for the whole genus.



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#7 Offline dermy - Posted January 31 2019 - 9:47 AM

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Too bad your ant's aren't Canadian ants, we just had a few nights of below -40c [one night was -47c!] and I expect everything to be perfectly fine come spring. Mainly because ants here go down a bit and get a nice 2-3ft snowy blanket that insulates them.


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