Cleared for take off

[Wood~Ant]

While yesterday was very hot here in many parts of Britain, today is meant to get even hotter; and the mating flights have started all over the British Isles. Here is a taste of what to expect as ants begin their annual mating flights and are Cleared for take off.

[Wood~Ant]

Hot, sticky and humid this afternoon. As conditions are perfect, a huge Lasius niger nest nuptial flight is preparing to take off just outside our garden gate as I type this. There will certainly be many more within the next 3 hours, as the little birds such as sparrows are going frantic looking at ant nests up and down our front path.

[deansyme]

Still waiting for the start of the flights up here in Scotland.
Still finding alates pupae in nests so think another couple of weeks yet.

[IceWhyte]

We must be getting weather in Argyll than you are Dean. We have had Myrmica flights already. Also seen Lasius niger, flavus and Formica fusca/lemani alates in nest that are ready to fly.

[deansyme]

Weather been rubbish here...hopefully will not be long

[IceWhyte]

I saw Lasius niger queens running around at work today so the sunshine must of spurred on the flights. I had nothing to collect them with so couldn't take any. I picked up one queen but she started biting me so thought I would put her back to continue her search for a nest site.

[Wood~Ant]

Jen saw hundreds of Lasius niger new queens running around the cathedral at 6PM today, and an hour later both L. flavus and L. niger were out on mating flights resulting in Jen picking up 4 newly mated niger queens just outside the front of our flat. ;D

This year it has been a case of our local ants having to wait until the weather was just right, as even today we've had very heavy rainfall for most of the day, so the ants must have decided if they don't fly soon it will be too late for them; especially as these new queens will take at least 7 or 8 weeks before they get their first workers.

[Sam_the_Ant]

Yup there is hundreds of queens on the floor where I am in west sussex! So glad they are flying at last ;D

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[deansyme]

Caught my first 2 mated queens of the year today... 2 lems..

[Wood~Ant]

Aug 8, 2012 19:09:50 GMT Sam_the_Ant said:

Yup there is hundreds of queens on the floor where I am in west sussex! So glad they are flying at last ;D

What part of West Sussex are you exactly Sam? I know here in Chichester it has been a very good evening for nuptial flights.

[Sam_the_Ant]

Down in East Grinstead... near gatwick! I got 5 L.Nigers from last night! So happy ;D

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