12 replies to this topic

[Dethundrel]

It’s about time for Camponotus to fly in my area. We have had a lot of rain here lately and it has been quite cool. I am in Grand Junction Colorado, 4,500 elevation.

I am curious if anyone has had much luck with them flying under 80 degrees? We have had a few warm day after the rain (75ish) and I have been checking nests fairly frequently, but have hardly seen any activity at all. Most of them time I only see 2-3 workers at sites that had dozens crawling around them last year.

Even with lots of rain previously, it’s expected to die down but we are only expecting temps in the high 60’s and low 70’s for the next several weeks. Am I ok to just chill and wait for it to warm up more, or should I still bother to check them every other day or so?

There are really only 2 huge nests that I know of and a few other smaller ones so I assume I will have a very limited time and amount of queens that I will be able to catch and I don’t want to miss them.

We have both C. Pennsylvanicus and C. Novaeboracensis here.

Edited by Dethundrel, June 6 2019 - 9:38 PM.

[ConcordAntman]

Dethundrel, it seems we’ve got the same lousy weather pattern here in Massachusetts. I’ve got the same question. I’ve got C. pennsylvanicus but I’m looking for C. americanus or chromaiodes. I checked out dpsdrew’s Queen Ant Spotting/Mating chart for North America http://www.formicult...rth-america.htmand thought I was late for the party but a local collector with a lot more experience than me said the bigger Camponotus species won’t fly until it’s warmer http://www.formicult...hread/?p=114404 I know we’re 2000 miles apart but for poikilotherms, temperature is temperature! Good luck with your hunt.

[Ferox_Formicae]

deleted

Edited by CloudtheDinosaurKing, May 15 2019 - 9:10 AM.

[Dethundrel]

I’ve been continuing to keep an eye on them and still no luck. It’s been in the 70’s during the day but by 9 PM it’s down into the 60’s.

It got up to 86 today and both big nests I check were really active at 3 PM. I went back at 9 PM when it was 72 and some [censored] has destroyed both of the nests I check.

One of them was a tree that has two main trucks growing out of one base. The nest was in the side of it between the two and someone tore it apart exposing a lot of the nest. They left most of the wood on the ground but jammed one of the bigger pieces back in sideways. They tore open both the top and bottom entrances up to 8 inches deep.

The other is a huge tree with a nearly 15 ft circumference with one side of it having a big split, that’s where the nest is. Someone tore off the bark at the edges and used some kind of tool to tear nearly all the way into the middle of the tree where the middle of the split is.

I can’t imagine just some random [censored] would be out there tearing up random trees. It has to be another anter who clearly has no idea what the F*** they are doing and has now severely damanged, if not completely ruined 2 very big colonies.

I’m gonna continue to check on them in the hopes that since the slates are already there, they will still fly ok.

[ANTdrew]

Sorry! This is why I unequivocally oppose the practice of collecting mature colonies from the wild unless it is some sort of rescue. It is a destructive and unnecessary practice.
Keep patient; you’ll find a queen perhaps when it’s a bit warmer.

Edited by ANTdrew, June 2 2019 - 2:24 AM.

[Acutus]

Don't know if this will help but I try to go to parks at night, especially ones with lights for tennis or basketball courts. I choose parks in wooded areas where I've seen the target species I'm looking for.

In the latest instance I visited the park and found C. castaneus males all over the place and no Queens. Next night same males but got 5 Queens. 

[Dethundrel]

The area I visit has parking lot lights about 1/4 mile away from the 2 nests I’ve been keeping an eye on.

I check them in the afternoon just to get an idea of activity and then go back just before dark and stay until after dark.

With my timing and amount of time spent there, I would see alates at the nest before or as they are flying. I saw tons them last year around 7 PM but had to leave and couldn’t go back. I’m willing to bet my little finger that’s the night they flew. Now that my situation has changed and I don’t have to worry about being drug away again, I’m going to remain vigilant until I get them!

[VoidElecent]

Try black lighting. I tend to have success when it reaches over 75° F at 9-10 PM.

[CatsnAnts]

What are some good conditions for blacklighting? I’ve already attempted three nights from 8:30 to 11:30 and found absolutely no queens.

[Dethundrel]

If they aren’t already flying, black light won’t get you any.

On a positive note, saw a male alate walkin around one of the entrances tonight. He wasn’t just peaking, he was coming all the way out and wandering around a while. High hopes still and should be any day now.

[Dethundrel]

Now I’m really confused by these ants and really in need of some experts to help me wrap my brain around it.

I have been spending a neurotic amount of time keeping an eye on these girls. I been down checking them 3-4 times a day for a total of 4-5 hours each and every single day. There is no way possible I could have missed a flight, and have seen no males other than just the 1 the other night at the nest entrance.

However, tonight, I found 4 queens all at that same tree. They were on the tree, and on the ground right at the base of the tree. None of them had wings still on, and again, no males in sight. How in the world is this possible?

I was pretty sure these were C. Pennsylvanicus, and to my knowledge, they don’t mate in the nest and are not polygynous, so how can I be finding queens when there was no flight?

I’m going to make an ID thread just in case I am wrong to make sure that’s what these girls are but would love someone else to chime in and explain why I’m crazy in thinking this isn’t right.

[Acutus]

Camponotus fly at night. There's no way for you to watch every nest in the area even if you know where a few are. Are you out at night? or are you watching during the day?

 

You got 4 Queens congratulation!!!!   Set them up and hopefully they'll start laying!

 

Both Pennsylvanicus Queens I have I never saw the flight either.

[Dethundrel]

I have been going morning noon evening and night. Each evening, I’ve been out there from around 8 PM and stay until around midnight. The sun sets about 9PM. Even if they flew between midnight and 6 AM, I would have seen something in the morning, or the afternoon or the evening after. I’ve had 2 other people with me each time as well so 3 sets of eyes and we never spotted anything.

Now that I have a proper setup, I have very high hopes for these girls. With my heated setup, my other Camponotus, Tetras and my Cromatagaster have exploded. I haven’t kept up on or created journals but it’s amazing how well they are doing.