Nuptial Flight and Finding Queens

Where and when are you finding queen ants? A section to share nuptial flight schedules by ant species and locality

Moderator: ooper01

Post Reply
GardenGirl

Nuptial Flight and Finding Queens

Post: # 31511Post GardenGirl
Sun Sep 17, 2017 7:35 pm

I live in Minnesota, never kept ants or tried to before. I live in a rural area, down a dirt road, with wooded acreage on one side and a hay field on the other. I know it's probably to late in the year, or close to it, to find a queen, which is just as well since I have no materials whatsoever. My questions are as follows:
1. What are the best places to look for queens, (I don't want to dig up a nest).
2. I really want either a Camponotus or Lasius queen. What is the best time(months, and time of day) to find these queens?
Thanks!! :D

Idahoantguy
Posts: 136
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:48 am
Location: Idaho

Re: Nuptial Flight and Finding Queens

Post: # 31516Post Idahoantguy
Sun Sep 17, 2017 8:50 pm

Well, it really all depends. If you're looking for camponotus probably in wooded areas, just places where you might find an actual nest. Lasius, I'm not sure, in general under rocks or logs is pretty good for ants, or around rivers. Also try to look for areas where usage of pesticides is limited. But I have found colonies right next to fields and golf courses where I know they use a ton.
As to your other question: in North America camponotus flies from around April to august, and lasius is about June to November, so you could still catch one of those. Generally after rainstorms or when the humidity spikes is a good time to go looking for queens. I have even found queens days after storms as they are looking for places to found their colony. The AntsCanada YouTube channel has a good video on the times of year to find all kinds of species and there are a ton of other helpful videos on that channel.
If you're desperate or you don't want to go look for a queen you can buy one off of the GAN project, you'll have to check for a seller in your area, and see if they have the species you would like. You could get one pretty cheap, or even free, with workers and it's all ready to go. Ants will be pretty close to hibernating around now, at least where I am from, but when the workers are out and about that's a good way to find out what species are in your area.

Hope that wasn't too much information all at once :lol:
Good luck!!
PS: definitely check out the AntsCanada YouTube channel, it's really useful and just entertaining to watch.
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans x2

Anything but tetramorium please :cry:

User avatar
Batspiderfish
Posts: 3315
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Nuptial Flight and Finding Queens

Post: # 31519Post Batspiderfish
Sun Sep 17, 2017 8:56 pm

Depending on how long it stays warm, we often see queens all the way into October. Lasius, in particular, like to fly late.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

GardenGirl

Re: Nuptial Flight and Finding Queens

Post: # 31526Post GardenGirl
Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:40 pm

I have been watching some of the AntsCanda videos! They are so informative! I have been binge watching! And as it turns out, just after I posted, I watched his video that gave the months to find queens! :lol:
He seemed to have such luck finding queens right out in the open. It seems to easy on that video! I did take a walk with my sister after watching it, and found (I assume, about 99% sure) a male lasius that had landed on her! :lol: To bad it wasn't a queen! :roll:

Idahoantguy
Posts: 136
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:48 am
Location: Idaho

Re: Nuptial Flight and Finding Queens

Post: # 31527Post Idahoantguy
Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:43 pm

GardenGirl wrote:
Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:40 pm
I have been watching some of the AntsCanda videos! They are so informative! I have been binge watching! And as it turns out, just after I posted, I watched his video that gave the months to find queens! :lol:
He seemed to have such luck finding queens right out in the open. It seems to easy on that video! I did take a walk with my sister after watching it, and found (I assume, about 99% sure) a male lasius that had landed on her! :lol: To bad it wasn't a queen! :roll:
Cool! In that case, it would be a good idea to keep looking for lasius queens since you know they are flying :)
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans x2

Anything but tetramorium please :cry:

GardenGirl

Re: Nuptial Flight and Finding Queens

Post: # 31528Post GardenGirl
Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:55 pm

Idahoantguy wrote:
Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:43 pm
GardenGirl wrote:
Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:40 pm
I have been watching some of the AntsCanda videos! They are so informative! I have been binge watching! And as it turns out, just after I posted, I watched his video that gave the months to find queens! :lol:
He seemed to have such luck finding queens right out in the open. It seems to easy on that video! I did take a walk with my sister after watching it, and found (I assume, about 99% sure) a male lasius that had landed on her! :lol: To bad it wasn't a queen! :roll:
Cool! In that case, it would be a good idea to keep looking for lasius queens since you know they are flying :)
I did, for about an hour, and got so excited when I thought I saw one, (it wasn't) that I messed up my back. :oops:

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests