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Ant question 🐜

B3B3 Posts: 27,505
in Wildlife gardening
What happens in/to an ants' nest after flying ant day? 
I can find plenty of information on Google about breeding, forming colonies and whatever, but no answer to my question. I suspect I haven't been asking the right question😒
In London. Keen but lazy.
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Posts

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    As far as I understand it is the new queens that fly with the winged males to mate and set up a new colony. Therefore the unwinged males stay in the orginal nest with the "old" queen. Maybe.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited July 2023
    so a bit like this - 





    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Ooh you are awful @Pete.8
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    They drop or chew their wings off and start again.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    This site is interesting … there’s contact details if you have queries 
    https://www.antnest.co.uk/life-cycle/ 
    🐜 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Yesterday we had large flocks of swallows, house martins and swifts flying low over the field and orchard. Couldn't see what they were hunting for but then the dragonflies turned up....so flying ants? Couldn't see any.
    However this morning thousands of flying ants in the field and our garden and not a bird in sight. How odd!
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Just had to close the conservatory doors as flying ants all over. Just a few inside, but a good spray of fly spray not only kills whats there but will stop others from trying to come in I have found.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited August 2023
    Fly spray?!  Haven’t used it in 50 years ☠️


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,573
    It's flying ant day!  How miraculous of those little things to grow wings and take to the skies.  
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    There is apparently not one determined "flying ant day", but much of the country seems to be facing it today. One of those days.


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