6 replies to this topic

[Bern]

 

From a new be, hoping to be ready when spring comes and the queens start their mating flights. I have several questions, some of them maybe weird, others crazy, and then just plain curiosity. Please bear with me.

 

1 On their mating flight, how high do they go?

2 On their flight how far do they go from their original nest? How far should I go to try to get some from different nests? Do they mainly mate with males from their own nest, or do they attempt to find strangers?

3 Do they go a long way on a windy day or do they stay grounded?

4 Does this flight take place mainly during the day, the night, or does time matter?

5 Several articles talk about using lights to attract them. Is some part of the night better than another?

6 Quite a few say UV is best, while others say just a bright light is all it takes. Any good experience or thoughts?

7 Is it better to ID them with a queen, or a worker? Does it matter?

8 If you have a queen in a test tube in your backpack, does walking and bouncing them around for a couple hours, cause them stress and problems?

 

Not sure if these questions are OK all together, or better to have each one separated. Hope this all is OK and appreciate any and all comments.

 

Thanks

[antsriondel]

From a new be, hoping to be ready when spring comes and the queens start their mating flights. I have several questions, some of them maybe weird, others crazy, and then just plain curiosity. Please bear with me.

 

1 On their mating flight, how high do they go?

2 On their flight how far do they go from their original nest? How far should I go to try to get some from different nests? Do they mainly mate with males from their own nest, or do they attempt to find strangers?

3 Do they go a long way on a windy day or do they stay grounded?

4 Does this flight take place mainly during the day, the night, or does time matter?

5 Several articles talk about using lights to attract them. Is some part of the night better than another?

6 Quite a few say UV is best, while others say just a bright light is all it takes. Any good experience or thoughts?

7 Is it better to ID them with a queen, or a worker? Does it matter?

8 If you have a queen in a test tube in your backpack, does walking and bouncing them around for a couple hours, cause them stress and problems?

 

Not sure if these questions are OK all together, or better to have each one separated. Hope this all is OK and appreciate any and all comments.

 

Thanks

1 why would you want to know this?? 2 they fly usually 100 metres from their original nest and mate with males from different colonies,2 they stay grounded on a windy day,3 time does not matter,4 no there is no specific time of night to catch queens.5 uv is definitely the best way to catch queens although you can catch a queen on the ground near a bright light like a street lamp.7 to identify a queen ant I would recommend posting on the id section on this forum and provide the best pictures you can.8 yes and no, if you drive really roughly than yes but if you drive carefully, no 

also why are you asking???

[ryanp347]

There is a whole section on anting, how to find and capture queens, etc

[ryanp347]

Check the important topics section

[Manitobant]

1. Depends on species. Some ants stay close to the ground while others fly high into the sky

2. Also depends on species. Try to get queens that are somewhat far from any individual nest, but not far away from the general population of the species. Queens always prioritize mating with foreign males.

3. Most ants do not fly at all on windy days, and when they do the flights are usually quite small.

4. Again, depends on species. Some ants fly early in the morning, others in the afternoon and some during the night.

5. The best times for catching queens at night are right as it gets dark, from 9-11PM and early in the morning before the sun comes up, around 4-5AM.

6. The best lights for attracting ants are mercury vapor and blacklights. Blacklights emit almost solely UV light, which is the most attractive type of light to ants and insects in general, while mercury vapor emit both very bright light and UV, which makes them much more effective for bringing in queens from farther away. The best setup however is to use both these lights at the same time, which allows you to have the best of both worlds.

7. You should try to ID your ant with just the queen, but if you can’t successfully ID it yourself or get anyone else to do it, wait for the first workers to emerge and try to ID the worker.

8. It probably won’t affect them at all. I personally go on long anting walks and trips during the summer and all the queens i find turn out fine after hours in my anting bag.

[Bern]

Manitobant        Really appreciate your feedback and comments.   Like some of the other comments, in general, a lot of this info is sort of available, but specific comments I find very interesting and informative.   Thank you

 

To address # 8 again.  I do a fare amount of walking and sometimes it is not smooth and on even ground.  My backpack or fanny pack does quite a bit of bouncing at times.  Wondering how you carry the tubes, or whatever you use.  Is it best on their side or on end with cotton on the bottom giving a little cushion?  Does it make any difference?  Some articles I've read, talk about being careful not to stress the queen when capturing her, and it seems like getting bounced around in a tube for a couple hours would not be good.    Maybe I'm way over thinking this.

[PaigeX]

Manitobant        Really appreciate your feedback and comments.   Like some of the other comments, in general, a lot of this info is sort of available, but specific comments I find very interesting and informative.   Thank you

 

To address # 8 again.  I do a fare amount of walking and sometimes it is not smooth and on even ground.  My backpack or fanny pack does quite a bit of bouncing at times.  Wondering how you carry the tubes, or whatever you use.  Is it best on their side or on end with cotton on the bottom giving a little cushion?  Does it make any difference?  Some articles I've read, talk about being careful not to stress the queen when capturing her, and it seems like getting bounced around in a tube for a couple hours would not be good.    Maybe I'm way over thinking this.

I don't use test tubes because the glass can break. I use pop caps or other small plastic containers. I then put them in a box lined with cotton and leave in a cool area while i walk around some more. If your going long areas put them in a bag lined with foam to help ease up the bouncing. Also always make sure they stay cool and not over heat. Here in AUS where the temp gets high in the day, I need to place the queens in the shadow of a tree while I go and walk more. I have picture memory and know where i have left them. If you can't remember, Take a stick, and place like colour tape on the end and stick it in the ground next to where you left them.
I hope this helps.