2124 replies to this topic

[noebl1]

Looks like a chance for over 70F on Saturday in some areas of MA, good chance for P. imparis that day

[fleetingyouth]

I just moved and where I am has a lot fewer opportunities for anting. So if anyone is successful getting some P. imparis this spring and has extra queens I'd be very interested. I'd def trade but not sure I have anything of interest haha

[Scherme]

I am looking to add P. Imparis to my list as well. 

 

With the rains yesterday, a slightly warmer and sunnier day today, I got my eyes open.

 

Forgot to bring containers with me to work but I will figure something out if I happen to spot something. 

[fmoreira60]

My cremetogaster queen laid 1 egg.  But her test tube is really dirty. Should I wait to see if nanitics appear to change tubes or should I do it now. Also what time of the day do P.Imparis usually fly because I will be going to upstate New York on Saturday.

[ANTdrew]

Don't stress your Crematogaster queen in any way until she has multiple workers. I wouldn't try any moves until she has a worker force to help. I learned this lesson the hard way with my three Crematogaster. The one I didn't try to move already has 25 workers, while the two I moved have 8 and ZERO workers.

[Rstheant]

If ants get “used to” things, I check on my ants 3 times a day, and know, they only twitch an antenna.

[fmoreira60]

Went on a walk. On the streets and on paths through the forest. Didn't find any P.Imparis though. It was around 70 degrees with a bit of wind here in western mass.

[noebl1]

It's still a bit early, they can still fly into afternoon   Sun came out about an hour ago and hit 72F here.

[Scherme]

 

 

Seeing a swarm of these flying in the shadowy side of a tree. Lots of workers foraging on the tree as well. 

 

No females from what I can tell, I believe these to be male P. Imparis?

 

They were landing and immediately taking back off, very hard to capture an image. 

[fmoreira60]

I have to go to New York now so I had to look a bit early. I’d be willing to trade for queens that some of you guys find.

[Scherme]

I have 3 P. Imparis as of right now. 

 

I have seen dozens, chased them all off into the horizon or into a bush. 

 

Of course the first one I caught is when I decided to take a break, and it landed on the table in front of me. 

 

the other two i followed to the ground and watched them walk around with males still attached. 

Edited by Scherme, April 13 2019 - 12:04 PM.

[akaant]

P imparis flew on the 5th, yesterday, and today.

[fmoreira60]

Any of you guys have success using black lights to find queens? Because some camponotus species fly at night in May and I read that black lights help. Last year I occasionally looked at night and I want to start looking at night more often. What kind of black lights do you use and how?

[fmoreira60]

I am mostly loking for C.Americanus and C.Novaeboracensis. Do they fly at night?

[Aquaexploder]

Any of you guys have success using black lights to find queens? Because some camponotus species fly at night in May and I read that black lights help. Last year I occasionally looked at night and I want to start looking at night more often. What kind of black lights do you use and how?

It works, I have used fluorescent lights in the past since they emit uv radiation. You can just set up some lights next to a white towel and it usually works ok for beginners.

[noebl1]

I am mostly loking for C.Americanus and C.Novaeboracensis. Do they fly at night?

 

C. americanus starts flying around 5-6pm, and will usually be easier found via flashlight spotting after dark as they are looking to found.  I've observed they typically have small flights, and may only fly once or so a season.  C. noveboracensis I've only seen a handful of times as well (vast majority I see are C. pennsylvanicus.)   I've only seen them fly with other species like C. Myrmentoma subgenus, C. pennsylvanicus, etc.  I've only observed them at night flying, usually on nights when it's hot and humid.  If they are like C. pennsylvanicus, I suspect they will probably start early evening as well, and fly into the night (like I have observed.)

 

Here's some tips for MA people looking for Camponotus;

• In the last few years, I've almost always observed C. Myrmentoma like C. nearcticus, fly 1 - 2 weeks before the larger Camponotus, starting around 5-6pm, ending usually at sunset if it's cooling off
• Most of the flights start around 5-6pm, often after rains, if over 80F and humid
• If this heat and humidity continue into the night, they will fly as long as it's hot and humid.  I've gone in at 11pm and they were still actively flying in the air in pitch black
• Some of the largest flights I have ever seen occurred when there was a thunderstorm mid-afternoon, the sun came out and got really hot and humid by 5-6pm
• Catch lots of them if you want to keep them, I find in my area a high mortality rate
• Flights go from May thru early *July*, though I've found they usually peak mid to lay May to mid June (later flights often mean unmated queens in my experience)
• Using black lighting, I've only ever seen male Camponotus. However people in other areas with C. castaneus say queens will come to black lights
• Flashlight spotting after dark is a great/easy way to catch them

Where to look for Camponotus Queens:

• C. americanus - They will land on a flat surface, quickly drop wings and scatter; driveways, sidewalks and paths are best places. They are very very alert, and will actively hide as you approach I've observed, so don't be surprised if she disappears under leaves and such quickly as you spot her.  I suspect their flights may have cyclical changes, as I've seen them infrequently.  I've found them digging founding chambers as well around 6-7pm.
• C. nearcticus -  They will typically land of a vertical surface like a house, shed, etc and climb *up*, they are arboreal nesting in trees or upper areas of houses.  They are very aware of what's going on around them, and will jump off the surface and hide in rubble if you try to catch them.  We have a mosquito net we put around our patio set on the deck, and they will often be caught as they land on the netting and climb up.  They may not drop wings immediately at all compared to other Camponotus I've observed, but may wait a few days.
• C. pennsylvanicus is NOT picky at all.  Vertical, ground, etc surfaces.  However being so large and clumsy, I find they typically land on the ground, very very quickly drop wings, then scatter and either go up a building, or just got under the first thing they find and wait.  They can sometimes be found the next morning still looking for founding chambers; often for a couple days after you can find them hiding under things in the yard.  I find most of them on the deck, along the deck railings, on the driveway, on the house foundation, sidewalks, under puts, in pots...  etc.
• C. noveboracensis.  I've only ever seen running along the ground, but again only seen very few of these.

 

There's always exceptions, but that's after a few years of collecting what I have observed.

Edited by noebl1, April 19 2019 - 3:29 AM.

[noebl1]

FYI P. imparis are flying today in MA.

[fmoreira60]

I don’t know why but my C.Pennsylvanius colony died over night. They started to twitch really bad last night and now they are all dead. I guess it’s a part of any keeping tho.

[fmoreira60]

Turns out 1 worker and the queen were alive! They were curled up in the corner of the test tube so and they weren’t moving so I assumed they died.

[ConcordAntman]

We’re having a cool, wet spring. Two of my 3 colonies have reasonable brood piles with several pupae and late stage larvae. My least productive colony has larvae but no pupae. I’m looking at boosting the temperature to jump start things and have a few questions. My colonies are in a storage closet with an ambient temperature of ~70 degrees. Do any of you heat your colonies? If so, do you use incandescent bulbs or ceramic emitters? Is the heat source thermostatically controlled?

Thanks in advance for your time and information.