40 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:22 PM.

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:22 PM.

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:22 PM.

[Serafine]

Pheidole megacephalia doesn't need to do nuptial flights. They can reproduce inside their nest and spread by a few queens and a bunch of workers just walking to a new nearby location and establishing a satellite colony (pretty much like Argentines do it).

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:23 PM.

[Aaron567]

Yup, in South Florida they have flights. Otherwise I don't think they would be able to spread so much.

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:23 PM.

[Aaron567]

I've always thought they do both. I live in Northern Florida where P. megacephala don't exist, but I visit a city in South FL several times a year that is overrun with them. There are several queens in each colony which would mean they have got to be creating new queens inside the nest as well as having nuptial flights. And I'm pretty sure they just have nuptial flights where they mate in the air like any other ant.

Edited by Aaron567, March 12 2017 - 11:40 AM.

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:23 PM.

[AnthonyP163]

The Solenopsis invicta seem to be doing a lot better. They've made their home under the sidewalk, and have spread out above ground a lot. They definitely do better on hot, sunny days, than overcast and cold days. They kind of go back and forth for doing good or not, but at least I know what weather they do best in. Any time it gets overcast or cold, they don't do nearly as good. Still surprising with so many Argentine ants (far more than how many Solenopsis invicta there are) and they are unable to defeat them.

 

On the other side of that, the Pheidole megacephala have less territory, but still a lot of ants. I think its because the area they are in is really dry, and they probably need more moisture. It seems they've "condensed" their territories. Plus on top of that, the Brachymyrmex always attack the Pheidole workers if they run into each other. The Brachymyrmex are pretty entrenched in that area, and even drive out Argentine ants and make the Argentine ants unable to colonize that area. Plus (again) the area is pretty dry, which isn't very good for Argentine ants either. It will be very interesting to see if the Pheidole megacephala make throughout the Summer in that area.

 

The other Pheidole megacephala colony that keeps reappearing across the road is still active and doing okay. The area is in the shade most of the time, and I've tried killing them (multiple times) but the colony is deep in the wall of a garage. They are doing okay, but they probably only have 1 to 3 queens at most so they don't grow very fast and aren't that big of a colony (plus I've killed a lot of them). They've started being more active though, but much smaller than the big colony. They'll probably grow faster once they produce more queens, but I'm not sure how much they'll grow.

I say kill them. Unless they aren't posing any harm, then kill them. They most likely are posing a harm just by being there. It's a sad thing to do, but it might help the native ants establish themselves better.

[Martialis]

 

The Solenopsis invicta seem to be doing a lot better. They've made their home under the sidewalk, and have spread out above ground a lot. They definitely do better on hot, sunny days, than overcast and cold days. They kind of go back and forth for doing good or not, but at least I know what weather they do best in. Any time it gets overcast or cold, they don't do nearly as good. Still surprising with so many Argentine ants (far more than how many Solenopsis invicta there are) and they are unable to defeat them.

 

On the other side of that, the Pheidole megacephala have less territory, but still a lot of ants. I think its because the area they are in is really dry, and they probably need more moisture. It seems they've "condensed" their territories. Plus on top of that, the Brachymyrmex always attack the Pheidole workers if they run into each other. The Brachymyrmex are pretty entrenched in that area, and even drive out Argentine ants and make the Argentine ants unable to colonize that area. Plus (again) the area is pretty dry, which isn't very good for Argentine ants either. It will be very interesting to see if the Pheidole megacephala make throughout the Summer in that area.

 

The other Pheidole megacephala colony that keeps reappearing across the road is still active and doing okay. The area is in the shade most of the time, and I've tried killing them (multiple times) but the colony is deep in the wall of a garage. They are doing okay, but they probably only have 1 to 3 queens at most so they don't grow very fast and aren't that big of a colony (plus I've killed a lot of them). They've started being more active though, but much smaller than the big colony. They'll probably grow faster once they produce more queens, but I'm not sure how much they'll grow.

I say kill them. Unless they aren't posing any harm, then kill them. They most likely are posing a harm just by being there. It's a sad thing to do, but it might help the native ants establish themselves better.

 

 

Call me what you will, but I don't see what's so sad about killing invasive species.

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:23 PM.

[Martialis]

I can't do anything to the one Solenopsis invicta mound (its along the main road in the complex), because even pouring soapy water on them and people would freak out and complain. I got threatened with a lawsuit by the complex, and they said I'd be arrested if I kept digging (tiny holes at that, and they weren't even really holes as much as me moving bark and stuff to get Monomorium ergatogyna) around the complex rofl. 

 

I DID spend multiple weeks trying to kill all the Pheidole megacephala, and I did kill lots...but I gave up because they keep re-appearing. Probably because I can't pour soapy water on them where they are left. One is inside a wall, one is under the road and honestly probably other smaller colonies of them around that I couldn't get either and I don't personally know about. There might actually be quite a lot of Pheidole megacephala around, but they are subterranean for the most part I noticed, and if they are inside peoples walls...can't do nothing.

 

So I actually can do VERY little without risk of someone complaining and then the apartments coming back saying they'll call the cops for "ruining" the complex. And soapy water could be considered pouring chemicals or something stupid.

 

Offer your service to the complex for free. Explain what you're doing,

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:24 PM.

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:24 PM.

[123LordOfAnts123]

I've slowly witnessed the spread of Pheidole megacephala during the course of 10 years. They've taken over an extra mile of sidewalk behind my house and have setup shop in many other areas. For the most part, they've confined themselves to human disturbed habitat as the deeper woods have remained relatively untouched despite their vicinity. 

 

I can confirm they partake in nuptials as far up as northern Orlando. I get a couple queens at my blacklight every morning at this time of year. From observing colonies wild and captive it seems most queens mate within the nest immediately after they eclose. The ones flying are probably simply leaving the nest after having scelerotized, though I have found males flying as well.

[AntswerMe]

Oh man, Pheidole megacephala sound horrible. Glad we don't have them here in Jacksonville. But they are bound to reach here sometime in the future. Solenopsis invicta are bad enough.

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f.

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:24 PM.

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:24 PM.

[Subverted]

Interestingly it seems like some of the other species are making a solid fight against the argentines now that we have a bit more moisture in the environment. I actually saw some Brachymyrmex in my house for the first time the other day.