California Ant Watch

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

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Jadeninja9
Posts: 732
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:00 pm
Location: SF Bay Area, California

California Ant Watch

Post: # 33828Post Jadeninja9
Sun Feb 04, 2018 11:03 pm

If anyone in California wants to share what queens they find this year you can do it here so we can see when and where ants are having their nuptial flights. I just caught my first Prenolepis imparis queen on Feb 1, then another one on Feb 2, found two dead in my garden on Feb 3, then found another queen in my garden on Feb 4 but it died because of pest control pesticides. These were all caught on the Peninsula of the San Fransisco Bay Area.
Keeper of:
1x Camponotus Hyatti
1x Lasius alienus colonies
1x Tetramorium immigrans

AntBonez
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2018 4:45 pm
Location: Palo Alto, California, USA

Re: California Ant Watch

Post: # 33839Post AntBonez
Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:22 pm

Sad that they died but it's good to know that the season for Prenolepis imparis is starting. I'll keep an eye out for them and always keep some containers on me as Mikey says to in his videos.

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Jadeninja9
Posts: 732
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:00 pm
Location: SF Bay Area, California

Re: California Ant Watch

Post: # 33840Post Jadeninja9
Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:36 pm

AntBonez wrote:
Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:22 pm
Sad that they died but it's good to know that the season for Prenolepis imparis is starting. I'll keep an eye out for them and always keep some containers on me as Mikey says to in his videos.
Yep. They started flying a few weeks ago.
Keeper of:
1x Camponotus Hyatti
1x Lasius alienus colonies
1x Tetramorium immigrans

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Jadeninja9
Posts: 732
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:00 pm
Location: SF Bay Area, California

Re: California Ant Watch

Post: # 33846Post Jadeninja9
Wed Feb 07, 2018 12:37 am

Okay so I got my two queens I caught to be confirmed Prenolepis imparis. I wonder why the AC Forum is so inactive lately with all the identifiers gone?
Keeper of:
1x Camponotus Hyatti
1x Lasius alienus colonies
1x Tetramorium immigrans

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antnest8
Posts: 1438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:11 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: California Ant Watch

Post: # 33847Post antnest8
Wed Feb 07, 2018 5:04 am

it is probably hibernation.
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
  • Ant Care Sheets
    Queen Hunting
    How To Identify Ants
Goal is to become #2 poster on the forum

plantpeddler
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:22 pm
Location: lodi

Re: California Ant Watch

Post: # 34708Post plantpeddler
Thu Mar 29, 2018 10:54 pm

i caught 6 total of i believe 4 different queens today in san joaquin county today i still need to identify i believe one was pogos

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AntsCalifornia
Posts: 39
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:53 am
Location: INDIO CA

Re: California Ant Watch

Post: # 34765Post AntsCalifornia
Sun Apr 01, 2018 12:29 am

Great idea!
I was able to catch (what i think) is a queen harvester ant queen today3/31/2018 !!! :)
Is this a harvester ant queen!?! I thought they flew in july... what do you guys think?ImageImage

Formicine
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:00 am
Location: Nevada

Re: California Ant Watch

Post: # 34768Post Formicine
Sun Apr 01, 2018 1:59 am

AntsCalifornia wrote:
Sun Apr 01, 2018 12:29 am
Great idea!
I was able to catch (what i think) is a queen harvester ant queen today3/31/2018 !!! :)
Is this a harvester ant queen!?! I thought they flew in july... what do you guys think?ImageImage
That's what my harvester queen looks like, but I live in Nevada and I caught mine in September. (Mine is Pogonomyrmex Occidentalis)
That's pretty awesome that you found one this early.
Did you look around the area for her nest? The way I caught most of my Pogos was by finding them digging their nests, and grabbing them while they were digging. I would think that this queen might have just woken up from hybernation and left her nest for food. If you caught her close to your home, go back to there and see if you can fine a small hole in the ground nearby. She might have some brood in there. Just a thought.
Good luck!

plantpeddler
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:22 pm
Location: lodi

Re: California Ant Watch

Post: # 34840Post plantpeddler
Tue Apr 03, 2018 4:39 pm

queens all over in san Joaquin valley i have caught about 40 now around 1 of our vinyards about 6 kinds 2 kinds are red harvester ants one type is about a 1/4 smaller than the other lots of these two digging out chambers. a few smaller queens black about 1/3 of a inch black . now a few about a half inch long black with shiny hairs on abdomen this I'm curious on the id also i caught 4 or 5 of 1 inch what look like carpenter ant queens they were not in wood they were in 1/4 inch chamber under grape vines i also found a couple exsisting nests that had1/2 and 3/4 inch workers very large red center black head and abdomen any ideas will be helpfull also if you are in the Stockton area and want to catch a unknown queen message me 209 323 0353 they are all over

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AntsCalifornia
Posts: 39
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:53 am
Location: INDIO CA

Re: California Ant Watch

Post: # 36427Post AntsCalifornia
Mon May 28, 2018 3:16 am

18 queens today!!!! 8-)
I got 17x pogonomyrmex californicus
And 1x solenopsis spp..
All found in La Quinta around "lake cahuilla"!!! There was so much more too!!! ran out of containers :oops: .... I more than doubled my collection in one day :shock: pogos are my favorite!!
BEST DAY EVER!!! :ugeek:

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