2009 Flight Activity

[Jenny]

Hi
All the flavus nests in this area are now mounded up, and looking quite fluffy Loads of entrance holes keep appearing alongside lots of activity. The same goes for the nigers. In fact I saw a niger queen with one wing wandering around our path this morning, maybe we have had a flight here recently
All the niger nests are extremely busy to the point of them getting quite aggressive when I get near to weed the garden, are they trying to tell me something?
It is time to keep a camera/camcorder on me when out and about I think, as things are hotting up. Also keep collecting pots to hand too

[Deleted]

At this stage, it's just a waiting game. The Lasius niger and Lasius flavus are waiting for the weather conditions to be just right.

I also look into the sky for insect eating birds(I am a fond twitcher too!) like swifts, martins and the black headed gulls that prey on the royal ants, so I know to grab my collecting pots.

A still, humid evening would be ideal right now!

[formica]

Why does woody never collect niger or flavus colonies Jenant? Sure wood could have collected it.

[sheffer]

Here in Newcastle there has just been a rainstorm, now it is very humid.

I can see loads of Lasius Niger workers crawling about in the paving stones, I think the flight may happen today ;D

[Wood~Ant]

Jul 24, 2009 11:39:56 GMT sheffer said:

Here in Newcastle there has just been a rainstorm, now it is very humid.

I can see loads of Lasius Niger workers crawling about in the paving stones, I think the flight may happen today ;D

Jen and our little dog were covered in L. niger workers down on the green yesterday, as the nigers were very aggressive; but still no sign of them having a mating flight as yet

[formica]

Do you think you will collect any? Sure you must have spare tubes from your other colonies when they arrived?