2 replies to this topic

[noobkeeper]

Today I was chilling in my garden when a male alate flew right on my legs. So I started looking around and there were many more males flying.

Soon after I found a male mating with a queen on the ground. It was really strange: the queen was like orange and the male (just like the other ones) was black with just the legs yellow. I rushed home to get a test tube and capture her, but when I got back I couldn't find her anymore...   I really disappointed myself! Anyway, I kept looking around: tons of males, but I didn't see any other queen. Is this normal for a nuptial flight? The only other flight i witnessed was a Solenopsis fugax flight and sure enough it was much more spectacular! No clouds of ants mating in the sky today.

Right now I'm setting up a black light trap and I'll check it tomorrow morning. Do you think I'll catch anything? Also, when should I check the blanket in front of the light? Should I stay up all night, or should I wake up tomorrow at 5 am (still dark) and look for queens near the light trap?

 

Any suggestion is appreciated!

 

Happy anting!

 

[dspdrew]

I think males usually start swarming first.

[CamponotusLover]

Today I was chilling in my garden when a male alate flew right on my legs. So I started looking around and there were many more males flying.

Soon after I found a male mating with a queen on the ground. It was really strange: the queen was like orange and the male (just like the other ones) was black with just the legs yellow. I rushed home to get a test tube and capture her, but when I got back I couldn't find her anymore...   I really disappointed myself! Anyway, I kept looking around: tons of males, but I didn't see any other queen. Is this normal for a nuptial flight? The only other flight i witnessed was a Solenopsis fugax flight and sure enough it was much more spectacular! No clouds of ants mating in the sky today.

Right now I'm setting up a black light trap and I'll check it tomorrow morning. Do you think I'll catch anything? Also, when should I check the blanket in front of the light? Should I stay up all night, or should I wake up tomorrow at 5 am (still dark) and look for queens near the light trap?

 

Any suggestion is appreciated!

 

Happy anting!

Well, lately, here in new jersey where I live, ant season is just getting on its feet, there have been a few nuptial flights, but none actually got far enough for there to be like 1000s of queens on the ground, mainly just some flying, SOME RARE mating, and some VERY VERY rare chance of queens looking around, so you may be having something like that, a nuptial flight that won't get very far, but then you find one rare sighting of a queen mating with a drone but you don't find it or anymore after you come back, because she is one of the few that made it to the ground, and probably went straight to digging her nest, and yes you will see many other drones though because they will come up alot more and alot easier then the queens.

 

Good luck!