LASIUS help needed!

[katdaily710]

Hey ant lovers!

I live in the panhandle of Florida, and I'm getting mixed messages on when the Lasius neoniger nuptial flights are, exactly. Some places say Labor Day, others say September 22-ish, and one even said Thanksgiving!

I'd really love to start gathering queens this year, so I can begin my first colony from scratch. I even got some test tubes.

Someone who lives in Florida and might know more than Google and Wiki, help me please! c:

Thank you!
Kat

[New2Ants]

I'm not too familiar with the species, but I'll try to see what I can find out.

[katdaily710]

Ahh thank you so much for a response!! I'll be sure to check after rain, since a lot of rain has been happening off and on lately. Do you think I should check in the mornings or afternoons? I never really know when to go for walks to queen hunt! I kind of just pick a time and wander around like an idiot staring at the ground.

Thanks again c: !

[New2Ants]

Never mind. Took me a while to process this information. If I'm not mistaken, this is the Labor Day ant. This ant species can be a little bit more tricky than other species. Just like you said, people are reporting nuptial flights on different days. This is because Labor Day ants have different nuptial flight schedules in different regions. In my area (Northern GA), I've noticed that they typically have their flights weeks befor and after Labor Day. Some how, you need to find out their nuptial flight season in your area. However, in most regions, their nuptial flights take place late in the year/ typically around mid-late fall. I'd try just checking a right after/ a day after it rains. Who knows, you might even find something more interesting. Hope you find a queen. Best of luck.
PS: I know you probably have done your research already, but I just like to remind people that the queens don't lay their first brood until the next year. Patience is the key. hope this helped. Bye.

[New2Ants]

I would try checking earlier in the day or during the late afternoon. It wouldn't hurt to check at noon, but I haven't had much luck at this time. But you never know, mabey you'll have more luck than me. If you have a pool nearby, just put a tennis ball inside of the skimmer, and any mated queens stuck in the water will grab on to it. This has helped me a lot with trying to find queens, because they are attracted to water during their flights. They also won't be able to fly out because their wings will be wet. Good luck.

[Gregory2455]

There is no Lasius in panhandle Florida. Wayyyyyy too tropical there for them. There are a lot cooler species you should be pursuing over Lasius, considering your geographical location.

[Gregory2455]

There is no Lasius in panhandle Florida. Wayyyyyy too tropical there for them. There are a lot cooler species you should be pursuing over Lasius, considering your geographical location.

I thought I saw a map that had neonigers distribution and it included Florida. It may be incorrect though.

http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Lasius_neoniger

There is Lasius in the northernmost parts of Florida yes, but even there they are super rare. I suggest looking at this page to get a better idea of the kind of ants in Florida.
https://www.antweb.org/taxonomicPage.do?rank=genus&project=floridaants&images=true

[katdaily710]

Omg thank you so much for that list I've been looking for something like that *u*
Thank you everyone for your help <3