18 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:21 PM.

[Subverted]

My theory on this is that the increase in moisture we have seen this year happened too quickly for the argentine ants to really capitalize on it before the other ants got a foothold.

The weather this year has allowed some other species to challenge their niche because the argentine ants have spread in the past by moving from area to area when new construction is done.

[SirAnticus]

that's funny, because in San Fernando I have, for the first time, I have seen Linepthima humile. The nests are still in the founding stages however. I have also seen some sort of Monomorium or Brachymyrmex spp. nesting in the surrounding area.

 

-Note: I have also seen more S. invicta colonies

Edited by SirAnticus, May 27 2017 - 12:25 PM.

[SirAnticus]

I went to my dads house where there was a large colony of Linepthima humile with 100's of queens. It has now disappeared.

[Martialis]

Interesting. Hopefully this isn't just an illusion.

 

Would introducing the genomes of many unrelated males to the colony cause any change to their invasiveness?

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

 

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:21 PM.

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:21 PM.

[PTAntFan]

Reporting in from Burbank.  When got back into the hobby a few years ago, Argies were everywhere.  I can't remember the last time I saw one in Burbank now.  We were using a spray to manage the MANY black widows here but we've stopped recently so, perhaps that was affecting them here by my home and they'll recover.

[Serafine]

I've just recently read a paper postulating that ant supercolonies cannot be stable for an extended period of time due to the suppression in aggressiveness it requires making the connected colonies not attack each other. Maybe Argentines in some areas have tipped that point and are now fragmenting to preserve their aggressiveness (which is important for competing against other species).

Or maybe they are dominating their habitat to a point where it actually 'makes sense' for colonies to attack their neighbors because they're the only competition left. This could as well be a selection process.

[gcsnelling]

I have always suspected they would eventually reach a plateau and begin tapering off, whether this is something along those lines or a result of some of the quite effective pesticides being used to control them only time will tell. And of course it could just be a simple matter of the local environment becoming less favorable than they like.

Edited by gcsnelling, May 31 2017 - 2:35 AM.

[dspdrew]

I still seem to have the same amount I've always had in my backyard. However, I have not had any of them invade my apartment in a while.

[Socalfireants]

I've noticed a decline in every ant species. Every different ant is found in a different specific region (usually). The increased human de-forestation and construction is removing their habitat. If not their habitat maybe it affects their food sources too. Humans are clearly land and with it, ants. I've also seen many ant colonies that flourished for years either cease to live, or get raided by other species, usually argentine ants

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:21 PM.

[Az0Z9a_zA]

July 2017: A colleague has reported a massive decline in Argentine ants at his home in south Escondido (San Diego County).  This is near the location where David Holway (USSD) reported piles of dead ants in battle between apparently different genetic strains of Argentine ants.  My colleague did not see any massive kills and he does not use insecticides. He simply has not observed the usual massive colonies of Argentine ants in his yard, particularly in well-watered areas. 

[sericultivist]

I've still been seeing massive amounts of argentine activity in my neighborhood and in the Bay Area, and they still invade the house when it rains. Nothing seems to stop them here except a lack of moisture.

[StopSpazzing]

Killed off my Argentine in my apartment by stealing their foraging queens and poisoning the rest. Seems now I have dark rover ants in it's place... weird. Also this topic is almost a year old...

Edited by StopSpazzing, February 24 2018 - 11:41 PM.

[Jadeninja9]

The only ants I see in my town are Argentine ants. You have you go up into the hills of the town and then you’ll start finding more species, but at sea level it’s all Argentine.

[ciccalina]

I have lived in San Francisco for 25 years, and have battled Argentine ants, in every apartment I have lived in, continuously, year-round. I have not seen a single ant this winter, which is very strange. We have lived in our current house for 6 years, and they are always invading, from every direction! I have never used poison stronger than boric acid. Has anyone else in San Francisco noticed this?

 

Thanks!

[Derpy]

Yeah, I am in the SF Bay Area and one of my colonies got killed by these argentines ants invading my house. My friend and I exterminated the colony:)