3 replies to this topic

[soulsynapse]

Let me see if I've got this right? Please correct the parts that I have wrong

 

Different ways of finding queens:

 

1. Digging founding chambers up

 

Weather: Recently rained (within the past week if on the colder side, within the last 3 days if on the warmer side)

Temperature: Needs to hit around ~70 at some point and the nuptial flight schedule needs to (roughly) match up

Depth: ~6 inches to a full foot down or so

Also: During the above conditions you can also find them by turning over rocks

 

2. Finding them walking around during a nuptial flight

 

Weather: Recently rained or VERY humid (95% of the time the 1st condition needs to be met)

Temperature: Needs to hit around 70 and nuptial flight schedule needs to match up

Time: Afternoon (4-8pm) or very early morning? To catch the nuptial flight you have to be IN the location as it's happening. I'm not sure how long a single nuptial flight will last.

 

2. Nabbing them from pools

 

I don't know much about this method. You go to pools and find them and then what?

 

3. Breaking apart dead logs / pulling back bark

 

I don't know much about this method either.

 

4. Black lights at night

 

I don't quite follow how this works either: I thought it had to be very warm for them to fly. Typically nights cool down a lot-- does this only work during warmer months? Will they fly even though it's very cool at night if it hits 85 or 90 during the day?

 

Thanks

[MichiganAnts]

1. no experience with this sorry

 

2. again no experience, i got into anting in late September and not much was flying then. blame pokemon go for my wasted summer.

 

3. i feel that this is 2 different things. breaking apart logs is VERY risky, as you are just randomly smashing/cutting into wood that if it has a colony in it.. it will be a large colony and you could cut/smash the queen and ruin the whole colony. pulling bark off fallen trees is what i do almost daily. What i do is slowly pull bark off, and make sure you only pull off a few inches of bark at a time. when you think you see an ant.. STOP!! move the limb/branch/ect to a clear area (i use a wood plank to put them on so if i drop an ant ill see it) then slowly remove the bark and place ants in test tubes. if it seems like alot of ants use an aspirator.  

 

seems about right. for number 4 during the night you use UV lights aka black lights. the queens (aswell as most other bugs) will be drawn to the UV light. It should work anytime bugs are flying

[gcsnelling]

Collecting colonies can be very environmentally damaging. If you flip rocks it is imperative that you replace the rocks in as close to the original position as possible. There are a great many other organisms that live under those rocks. Tearing up logs or bark is even worse since it is nearly impossible to return the items to anything resembling their original condition, once that log or bark habitat is destroyed it is gone. If you dig any significant hole you should refill it when done.

[dspdrew]

2. Finding them walking around during a nuptial flight

 

Weather: Recently rained or VERY humid (95% of the time the 1st condition needs to be met)

Temperature: Needs to hit around 70 and nuptial flight schedule needs to match up

Time: Afternoon (4-8pm) or very early morning? To catch the nuptial flight you have to be IN the location as it's happening. I'm not sure how long a single nuptial flight will last.

 

A lot of nuptial flights happen during a heatwave and don't need rain at all. It does need to be more on the humid side, yes. Here in Southern California, most of the nuptial fights I see in the hills and canyons happen during a heatwave in spring and summer, usually after a large jump in temperatures. Also, they can happen at any time; it just depends on when that species of ants usually flies.

 

 

4. Black lights at night

 

I don't quite follow how this works either: I thought it had to be very warm for them to fly. Typically nights cool down a lot-- does this only work during warmer months? Will they fly even though it's very cool at night if it hits 85 or 90 during the day?

 

This obviously only works for ants that fly at night. Many times during the summer, the temperatures stay above 70 degrees. In the desert, it rarely goes below 75 at night in the summer, sometimes not even going below 90. Also, I see a lot of Camponotus up in the higher elevations flying when its in the low 60's.