2124 replies to this topic

[noebl1]

Someone in MA on Discord found a couple Tetramorium dealates, so they are flying.

[greenavacado]

Someone in MA on Discord found a couple Tetramorium dealates, so they are flying.

I found two Tetra male alates up here, sadly no queens.

[mallonje]

Yeah I am not finding Anything! 

[ctantkeeper]

There was a Tetramorium flight here in CT! just caught 14 or so queens (some with wings still attached, others with either one or two or all of them removed),

Edited by ctantkeeper, June 20 2018 - 7:25 AM.

[fleetingyouth]

Did some yard work today and noticed a bunch of wide ant holes I'd never noticed before. Not sure if they are getting ready to fly or not. I did see these ants digging a wider entrance and at least one male alate scurry back into the hole. 

 I know the pic is bad but they were super small maybe 1 or 2 mm in size. Pavement ants maybe? Still learning which ants are which they all look the same to me haha

 

I also dug up this colony by accident on the edge of my driveway. once I saw them I left them to move and watched for awhile. It was super interesting to see them dig themselves out and start to move. Gave me the idea to see if I could create a preferable area for them nearby. 

Has anyone ever tried to trick a wild colony into a formicarium for collection? If they d move to the area I created I'll post up and maybe I will try again with a formicarium haha. 
 

Id really like to catch some tetra queens so i'll be watching that nest area. 

[akaant]

Found 2 tetramorium queens on my car this morning.

Edited by akaant, June 21 2018 - 6:06 AM.

[fleetingyouth]

I saw what I think is  another male Tertra alate last night. Thought they might fly this morning but either they did and I can't find any or they didn't. 

[ConcordAntman]

Just checking my queens today and I’m worried I have some problems!
https://www.4shared....BF3-AED1DD.html
There is mold in all three tubes and the queen with the most mature brood is the least active. Any advice would be graciously accepted.

[rdurham02]

Small Tetramorium flight here yesterday evening around 6:00PM (Westbrook, Maine). Strangely, the temp. was relatively cool at around 70 degrees. I was tipped off by an alate (male) being dragged off by a Camponotus major in the parking lot of my work. Found one queen closer to where I park my car. 

[noebl1]

Just checking my queens today and I’m worried I have some problems!
https://www.4shared....BF3-AED1DD.html
There is mold in all three tubes and the queen with the most mature brood is the least active. Any advice would be graciously accepted.

I wouldn't worry, mold usually is not a big deal; often cause more stress by trying to help with mold than just leaving it alone.  Once she gets her first nanitics, and you remove the cotton ball, you can can either attach another test tube to its end and see if they move, or put a couple test tubes in an outworld and let them move on their own there.  Most test tubes end up with mold in them at some point (I've gone months with mold and no problems).  Often when queens have brood, there's nothing for them really to do, and they sit motionless.

Edited by noebl1, June 23 2018 - 5:44 AM.

[ConcordAntman]

Thanks noebl1!

[noebl1]

Hit post too early...  This week looks like a potential for more flights as hot/humid weather inbound, though never guess it by today's weather

Edited by noebl1, June 23 2018 - 5:48 AM.

[Myrmidon]

I'm really hoping I didn't miss the local Tetra flight here. It's been oddly absent or maybe the colonies in my yard aren't ready yet. Perhaps this week will be a good one, especially with the rain and the good weather coming.

[noebl1]

I'm really hoping I didn't miss the local Tetra flight here. It's been oddly absent or maybe the colonies in my yard aren't ready yet. Perhaps this week will be a good one, especially with the rain and the good weather coming.

 

FWIW I haven't seen any here either and I have several large colonies of them, so I am wondering if they are local flights based on local conditions.  Last couple of years I didn't see any Tetramorium until July, and they fly for several weeks, so I wouldn't worry yet. I've been on discord for awhile, and there hasn't been a lot of Nuptial reports for Camponotus at all in the north east, only some Tetramorium and Nylanderia.  I am really thinking due to the long cool Spring, a lot of flights may just be delayed, so we'll see.  Possible this year is a fluke and not many Camponotus flights, but I'd be surprised.  Last year's Camponotus flight was smaller than previous years, but still large (and that was after the 2016 drought affects.)  Last year wasn't a bad summer at all, so wouldn't think flights this year would be worse.

[mallonje]

The Tetramorium queen alate I caught hasn't laid eggs yet. 

The Colony I spotted and ID'd earlier, where I saw the flight off the fence, appears to be completely dead - the mounds were not rebuilt after the last few rains, and no signs of workers since the swarm. I don't think it was treated because there's a thriving lasius colony just feet away. 

 

I'm seeing Camponotus workers everywhere, even found a C. Americanus colony (Man they are pretty) - but haven't seen any alates in a while.

Found a new species, just workers, that I haven't ID'd yet.

 

Here's hoping the rain tonight shakes things up and sets the stage for a good week. 

 

[noebl1]

@mallonje  I'd hold on to her for a bit, she could take a few weeks to lay before you get too nervous.  I've also noticed the Tetramorium colonies here have been not working on their mounds, while the Lasius have been, so also betting the cold/wet weather. 

 

Now you can probably see why I like C. americanus so much, they look really nice and won't invade houses...  Their caramel color looks awesome in full sun...

 

Post some pics and we can attempt an ID.

[noebl1]

Saw my first parasitic Lasius in 3 weeks out looking for a host colony... wonder if that's a sign conditions may be improving?

 

Checked on my Camponotus today, they are doing really well.  My C. nearticus are starting to have their first pupae, and my C. americanus seem to all have larvae now too:

 

[mallonje]

I have my first Nanitic!!

My first C. Pennsylvanicus queen is now sitting on a big old brood pile.

Now I want to make sure I get this right, I keep her bottled up until the first full worker ecloses correct? Or should I feed her now?

[noebl1]

Congrats!!!  I usually give them nectar in a cotton ball on a piece of foil as soon as they have their first worker active.  Often one or both will go over and gorge themselves depending on how long she's been out of her original colony.  Lasius for example go nuts as could be 6-7 months since she fed last.  I usually put the test tube into an outworld as soon as there are a couple of workers.  Usually they will start pulling at the cotton, so a good indicator they need to get out.  In the past when I had Camponotus, you need to make sure you start offering foods sooner than later or they will start to eat each other once you have a couple workers.  Usually the weakest worker ends up protein for the brood if not fed...

 

I saw a Lasius interjectus queen alate being eaten by an assassin fly tonight on the window, so guessing they flew at some point today.

 

My original ID of a parasitic Lasius may actually had been a Tapinoma queen, they were indeed flying today, and didn't realize the gaster on them isn't huge. 

[noebl1]

So I'm pretty excited, my April 2017 P. imparis laid their 2nd batch of eggs their 2nd YEAR!!!!!!!   I had given up on them TBH.

 

EDIT: It's the 1st batch of 2018, but the 2nd time she's ever laid.  They lay in batches so may not lay again this year, hopefully all 6 eggs hatch or she's not going to make it (unless by some miracle she lays more.)

 

Edited by noebl1, June 25 2018 - 4:03 PM.