Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Can I see when ants are going to fly by observing ant hills?


  • Please log in to reply
3 replies to this topic

#1 Offline DuffyHimself - Posted May 18 2017 - 5:19 AM

DuffyHimself

    Newbie

  • Members
  • Pip
  • 1 posts

There are several decent sized ant hills (Camponotus Herculeanus) in a nearby forest, but i haven't been able to find any queens in the forest yet.

When they have started their nuptial flights, will i be able to see alates walking on the ant hill or will they stay inside until just before they start their nuptial flights?



#2 Offline ultraex2 - Posted May 18 2017 - 6:54 AM

ultraex2

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 275 posts

I believe you will see alates around - when prenolepis imparis flew there were males/queens around the entrances to most of the winter ant nests.  Camponotus Herculeanus may be different, but I'm pretty sure that you will see a lot more activity around the entrance including alates.



#3 Offline dermy - Posted May 18 2017 - 7:21 AM

dermy

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,392 posts
  • LocationCanada

Observing ant hills and seeing Alates at the entrance [especially if it's happening at multiple colonies at once] can be a good way to see if the ants have Alates. It's no guarantee that they will fly that day, but it's a good sign they will soon.


  • noebl1 likes this

#4 Offline Cameron C. Thomas - Posted May 18 2017 - 12:11 PM

Cameron C. Thomas

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 101 posts
  • LocationVancouver, Washington

Observing ant hills and seeing Alates at the entrance [especially if it's happening at multiple colonies at once] can be a good way to see if the ants have Alates. It's no guarantee that they will fly that day, but it's a good sign they will soon.

 

As dermy points out, this is a telling precursor for nuptial flights in many species.

 

One of the best ways to increase your anting success, especially if you're looking for a certain species, is to 1. know your local ants and 2. be cognizant of their life histories. You're halfway there if you know the colony's location. I encourage people interested in ant keeping to actively collect workers in areas they spend a lot of time. Knowing what species occur somewhere you spend much of your time increases your likelihood of seeing a flight.

 

The other part is knowing the life history of the species in which you're interested. For example, Tetramorium caespitum queens fly early in the morning in my area. If you know where lots of colonies are, but only search in the evening, you'll likely miss your chance for that species. This is where reading and watching your local colonies is important. Alates of some species sit outside of the nest for a day or so prior to flying; think of it as testing the environment and waiting for just the right conditions. This is usually a good sign for an upcoming flight, but keep in mind some species that exhibit this behavior can also be finicky. For me, this has been the case with a nearby source of Aphaenogaster occidentalis. The colonies I use are reliable, but incredibly picky about conditions. Last year, alates sat outside the nest for one to two days on five occasions over a six or seven week period before they finally flew.

 

Camponotus usually fly in large swarms, especially in areas where colonies are dense, so it'll be hard to miss if you're checking in frequently. Look for spider webs in the area. During heavy flights, spider webs get littered with alates, which is a sign you missed the flight. Don't let that discourage you if it's Camponotus you're after. They're easy to find behind loose bark of fallen trees soon after flights, and if you wait until winter, you can easily collect queens and workers in diapause this way. Just be responsible and don't destroy all available habitat in an area.


  • dspdrew and dermy like this




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users