Winged rubras!

[kalistes]

I just checked my rubra colony for the first time in weeks (they've been eating non-stop since the weather warmed up. I was delighted to see two winged adults among the (now much more numerous) workers. This is the first time one of my colonies has produced winged adults and the question now is, what are they going to do presumably they will not go on a mating flight while stuck indoors. Do they just spend their lives in the tunnels?

[Wood~Ant]

The chances of getting winged ants to mate in captivity are extremely low, but not impossible. The fact that sexually mature male and female ants have wings is because they are designed to fly, and most species have to do this to mate; but as long as they are not hampered by being in a confined space, then mating can occur and be successful

If the alates don't mate before next winter, then the workers will definitely kill any males and probably any unmated females too

[fry]

I too have winged ants in my colony