460 replies to this topic

[Penguin]

I might find some just to find them and not to capture them since I have 3 Formica colonies from last year (I might catch a parasite though if I'm lucky enough to find one)

[rbarreto]

Found what seems to be a Temnothorax curvispinosus queen on my computer monitor at work and then when I went out for lunch I found a C. novaeboracensis queen.

[Lazarus]

Found what seems to be a Temnothorax curvispinosus queen on my computer monitor at work and then when I went out for lunch I found a C. novaeboracensis queen.

 

I going nuts walking every chance I get for hours and hours and have only 1 queen to show for it all season.

And you have them practically delivered to you and at work no less.

 

Some people have all the luck.  

[rbarreto]

I think the fact that I spend most of my work-week near a ant heaven probably contributes to my success this year. The forest is full of rocks that the warm loving species like to live under.

[Penguin]

I just checked my P. imparis colonies and 2 of the first ones I caught  just got their nanitecs... they were caught around May 1st so that's about three months. Is this normal? The care sheet says 1-2 months and sometimes 3. 

 

When did you guys get your first nanitecs for your P. imparis?

[rbarreto]

I just checked my P. imparis colonies and 2 of the first ones I caught  just got their nanitecs... they were caught around May 1st so that's about three months. Is this normal? The care sheet says 1-2 months and sometimes 3. 

 

When did you guys get your first nanitecs for your P. imparis?

One of my queens got several about a week ago but the other queen only recently got pupae.

[rbarreto]

Anybody in Ontario actually catch a Camponotus queen that wasn't C. pennsylvanicus or C. novaeboracensis? I know places such as antmaps and antwiki have species such as C. americanus, castaneus, subbarbatus, herculeanus and nearcticus listed as present here but I have never seen any.

[Canadian anter]

I've a friend in Kingston who found Camponotus subbarbatus. Camponotus castaneus only appears around Point Pelee. Camponotus nearticus are easily found only in the right places. I know Mercurial used to catch them. I've seen herculeanus in Toronto, but never queens.

[rbarreto]

I've a friend in Kingston who found Camponotus subbarbatus. Camponotus castaneus only appears around Point Pelee. Camponotus nearticus are easily found only in the right places. I know Mercurial used to catch them. I've seen herculeanus in Toronto, but never queens.

Good to know, I probably need to hone my searching skills.

[Lazarus]

I think the fact that I spend most of my work-week near a ant heaven probably contributes to my success this year. The forest is full of rocks that the warm loving species like to live under.

 

That was the place you sent the map from I assume. Yeah, I have not gone to that site. But I leave near the Kanata beaver pond (or duck pond to some people) and it has water, a marsh and plenty of forest all around so I have done a lot of looking in that area. I also have a few schools with parking lots, baseball fields, track, and again surrounded by forests. I think one of the ironies is that 3 of the five Camponotus we've found were in around outdoor malls! (1 in Centrum, 2 in Tanger).

 

My searches are usually just walking and paying close attention to the ground, and curbs. (Much like Mikey does in his videos), In the spring my son and I did resort to lifting rocks and while we did see colonies scurrying, we never saw any queens. I assumed that even with brood just under rocks queens would tend to be well hidden and underground. But if people are finding queens this way I need to do more rock flipping.

 

We also did loose tree/log bark picking but never found anything that way.

 

We need more rain! (Not just for ants, but for my lawn too. )

[rbarreto]

My work is north of that but still in the green belt. I'd say your problem may be the time you go out to look. You need to take into account time of the year, figure out what species are flying, and then go look at the appropriate time of day. For example, the biggest flights we have had here in Ottawa so far were Camponotus around 8-10 PM and break of dawn for Tetramorium.

[rbarreto]

Formica are flying in Ottawa (or flew recently). Just caught a queen while out for my break. She doesn't appear to be parasitic, has a red head and thorax, and a black gaster. I will post pictures later.

Edited by rbarreto, July 12 2018 - 7:31 AM.

[Lazarus]

My work is north of that but still in the green belt. I'd say your problem may be the time you go out to look. You need to take into account time of the year, figure out what species are flying, and then go look at the appropriate time of day. For example, the biggest flights we have had here in Ottawa so far were Camponotus around 8-10 PM and break of dawn for Tetramorium.

 

Well from what I've read here and else where, there are some that fly in the morning, some closer to noon, and some in the evening. Pretty much covers the entire day especially when I'm not trying to concentrate on any species. Basically, I go out when I can, but for the last month and more, that means at least every second day, usually noon and after work. Mornings I can only do on weekends, holidays and the rare weekday I don't work.

 

Formica are flying in Ottawa (or flew recently). Just caught a queen while out for my break. She doesn't appear to be parasitic, has a red head and thorax, and a black gaster. I will post pictures later.

 

Went out every day at lunch this week except today (Doh!). Saw this just after 6pm and look a long 6:30-7:30 walk but no luck.

[Nare]

Anybody in Ontario actually catch a Camponotus queen that wasn't C. pennsylvanicus or C. novaeboracensis? I know places such as antmaps and antwiki have species such as C. americanus, castaneus, subbarbatus, herculeanus and nearcticus listed as present here but I have never seen any.

I found a C. caryae queen in May, I live in Toronto.

[Lazarus]

My perseverance seems to have paid off this morning (4+ hours of searching this weekend).

 

I suspect it is a Formica Fusca but don't know. Created an Ant ID request post:

http://www.formicult...018/#entry97484

[Penguin]

Nice find, I wish you good luck so she founds a successful colony

[Lazarus]

I was so happy to find that one that I decided to go out again in the afternoon. Found FOUR more! Saw two others I could not catch in time before they got to heavy grass. I may have slightly injured one on her gaster though. Now trying to get better pictures for ID thread.

[Penguin]

Just saw three Formica sp. queens (all black, ofc..) while on a walk. It's what I expected after that light rain yesterday

[LearningAntz]

I know it’s not Ontario but on the 15th here in Alberta we had a massive flight and queens were everywhere. I saw around 50 Lasius subumbratus queens and many Formica spp. Also found 3 Myrmica queens I all captured. If only they were at least half as abundant as Lasius subumbratus that day...

Edited by LearningAntz, July 17 2018 - 8:21 AM.

[Penguin]

Another black Formica sp. flight today since it rained yesterday. On a different note when does Crematogaster start flying approximately?