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Post by Antkeeper on Jul 15, 2015 19:12:33 GMT
I'm covered in nigers, they are everywhere. Even the car and the neighbours gate! I've seen about 6 flights up to now and it's so humid. No wonder they are flying today Nothing in London yet, but the weather is perfect for them- very humid and still here.
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Post by chicken2012 on Jul 15, 2015 19:16:55 GMT
Nothing here as far as I could see either
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Post by Jenny on Jul 15, 2015 19:29:31 GMT
The flavus were stirring tonight too, but nothing came of it and the light is fading,. Typical of flavus, always late.
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Post by Jenny on Jul 16, 2015 6:53:34 GMT
Our green is a site this morning, Jackdaws everywhere just like the scene out of Hitchcocks horror film "The Birds" Alates for breakfast!
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Post by Antkeeper on Jul 16, 2015 10:18:10 GMT
The flavus were stirring tonight too, but nothing came of it and the light is fading,. Typical of flavus, always late. The Lasius flavus are not fully ready yet in London. I think the end of July they will go and then August/September for the Myrmica species. I am still waiting on Lasius niger here! They where flying the end of June last year here, very early so a bit late this year! I can't decide whether to do a test tube of a single Queen or a group of 2-3 Queens for more brood of Lasius niger ( my favourite species!!)... I am not trying Lasius flavus this year, but I might try 2-3 Myrmica rubra Queens in a tube and tank set up for them to forage. I could not get the rubra's to lay eggs last year, but my set up was not great. So, a new Lasius niger colony is a strong possibility!! Ill let let you guys know if they fly and get a video or two!
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Post by Wood~Ant on Jul 16, 2015 16:22:58 GMT
I know that Jenant is queen of the Ant Hill, but I just found a winged male Lasius niger on her bed. There are lots more new queens wandering about, so our local nests have had another mating flight today. Now we have to keep an eye open for Lasius flavus flying, and if we're very lucky, Myrmica rubra.
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Post by Jenny on Jul 16, 2015 18:16:27 GMT
Just walked 3 seperate dog walks on the lookout for flavus nests. The winged ones I have found are just surfacing from their entrances. Yet, another hour and they could fly, or just go back in. Flavus are so frustrating at times.
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Post by Antkeeper on Jul 18, 2015 12:30:46 GMT
I might be in luck today, a lot of male alates and even a few Queens are at the enlarged entrances of my back garden mature Lasius niger colony. Hoping they will fly this evening if the weather holds out...
I have decided to take at least one mated Queen for a new colony.
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Post by Antkeeper on Jul 18, 2015 14:16:44 GMT
Getting ready for take off?!
Some Queens have come to the surface, last year only males flew, so my back garden mature Lasius niger colony has had a good growing year! Queens and males are present...
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Post by Wood~Ant on Jul 20, 2015 15:32:35 GMT
Still no signs of Lasius flavus flying, or even Myrmica rubra. It is raining a very fine misty rain today and a bit cool for July, so it may be awhile before we see them fly; and then it will need to hot and humid.
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Stapleburger
Callow Ant
Posts: 53
Country: England
Pets: Chickens, Quails and Ants
Likes: 15
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Post by Stapleburger on Jul 23, 2015 12:42:48 GMT
last week we had a bit of a muggy day (Lincolnshire) and I had some activity on a Lasius niger nest near my back door. There seemed to be quite a few males at the surface, but no queens. I think the conditions must have been nearly right, but not quite there
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Post by Wood~Ant on Jul 25, 2015 7:49:13 GMT
Still no signs of Lasius flavus or Myrmica rubra flights down here. Yesterday was cool with heavy rain, so the ground is very wet. Today the sun is out, so if it does get hot and humid over the next few days we could see some flights; but they are late this year compared to last year.
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Post by chicken2012 on Jul 25, 2015 19:02:34 GMT
All of last week in Devon there was a lot of activity with alates getting ready to leave, but no actual flights, and back here in Cambridgeshire it appears to be basically the same story.
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Post by Antkeeper on Jul 26, 2015 10:07:07 GMT
Some of my Lasius flavus Queens have been poking their heads out of the nests yesterday and so to the Lasius niger. No flights in my area of London. Male Lasius niger keep getting dragged back to their nests by the workers! Today is more rain, so not very hopeful today.
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huwby
Callow Ant
Posts: 57
Likes: 33
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Post by huwby on Jul 26, 2015 19:05:25 GMT
Same here, I've seen the odd queen walking around but no flights, they flew almost a week ago last year so they are late, it rained all day today and its meant to get hot tomorrow so I'm hoping they might fly then. (I'm in north Wales by the way)
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