The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

Last week I caught a queen elate that I think is a Camponotus sp., relatively large and there were major and minor workers also around the room to compare to and she loves pulling cotton, she was in a bedroom indoors.

At first I thought she must have hibernated and come back out of the cracks indoors and just still had her wings, but then I found several males around the house... This is in March/April in Philadelphia, PA, USA, it's freezing outside...

Anyone heard of alates spawning at weird times if the colony lives in the walls of a house / indoors?

Also is it a bad idea to throw a male in with her to ensure she's mated?

Yup.

maybe it is just a weird sp. quirk

If you found her inside, then the colonies that started the uptial flight probably had prime conditions. Then, the outside colonies just had to go with it.

o/ I did as well caught all 3 of mine in 1st week of march the warm snap i think caused it.

I caught my queen this last Friday and it is May. she is a camponotus I think this crazy weather is making ants get confused (don't worry ants we humans are too) it will go from 60 and raining to sunny and 95 within three days atleast it does here in WNC