7 replies to this topic

[smares]

So I can figure out when some colonies of ants have a nuptial flight by watching their nest. The problem is I don't know where they are flying to! Honestly I can't even tell what direction they are flying.  Any tips?

[Mdrogun]

you won't be able to track creatures the size of a small screw as they fly up into the sky. Just walk around in the area you see ants flying, and keep your eyes on the ground.

[YsTheAnt]

Depends on the species. Camponotus for example will oftentimes fly onto logs or trees. Prenolepis on the other hand will usually fly to a mating lek with hundreds of other reproductives to mate, these areas tend to be around forest edges.

[Guy_Fieri]

There really isn't any specific place the alates fly to. The female alates will land once they have mated and gotten far enough away from their home colony. You could try looking for queens on the ground, under stones, in rotting wood, or in founding chambers.

[Shifty189]

Best tip that i have heard (but won't directly answer your question) is to get a few decent sized rocks and place them in the area on sand or dirt. keep this area watered to help them dig, and the day after you think a flight happened turn over the rocks. More often than you think you will find a queen trying to found a colony.

 

this is commonly called a queen ant trap.

[smares]

Shifty189 that is a great idea, I will try that!

[ANTdrew]

The other tip is to have little vials in your pocket at all times in the warmer months. Just keep your eyes on the ground and investigate any large or unusual ant you see. Birders talk about the “jizz” of a bird, which is its usual movement and look. It’s an applicable concept to anting too because if you get to know the usual jizz of ants in your area, you’ll be able to spot queens right away since they are totally different. In the end, it comes down to luck and persistence.

[nurbs]

You won't need to know their "heading". If you find one nest in an area, there are bound to be several hundred more of the same species scattered about. If you catch them at the right time during their flights, they should be easy to spot and find.

 

It also depends on what species you are looking for. For example, C. laevigatus will always land on rotten or fallen pine, Myrmecocystus in the deserts will always make founding chambers, C. vicinus and C. modoc are almost always random - trees, ground, rocks, etc.