tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post3129546646740872767..comments2024-03-28T09:25:14.379+00:00Comments on Veg Plotting: Of Flying Ants and Citizen ScienceVPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-44699723982056827172013-08-09T08:28:37.689+01:002013-08-09T08:28:37.689+01:00Janet - we had them whilst safely indoors at my mu...Janet - we had them whilst safely indoors at my mum's yesterday. Only they were safely indoors too!VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-66910828945670943262013-08-07T07:25:14.102+01:002013-08-07T07:25:14.102+01:00I've been waiting for our ants to fly off, but...I've been waiting for our ants to fly off, but no sign of wings yet. Always an amazing sight, though preferably viewed from safely indoors...Janet/Plantaliscioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605580157193047780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-3952910422581753612013-08-02T10:03:32.497+01:002013-08-02T10:03:32.497+01:00Yes, I like seeing what happens when a nest is ope...Yes, I like seeing what happens when a nest is opened. Got a few bites for my trouble too!VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-2116523343295113502013-08-02T10:02:14.030+01:002013-08-02T10:02:14.030+01:00We've been caught up in a couple of bee swarms...We've been caught up in a couple of bee swarms which are a pretty lively experience! The latest was yesterday at our friends, who ironically had sent his own hives away the day before because they're moving down to Devon next week. It possibly was because there was some honey in the garage and they were raiding it. <br /><br />One thing which intrigued me with the flying ants is there are also gazillions of other non-flying ants going beserk around the emergence points when the other ants fly away. Are they another type of ant in the colony? Will they be flying ants one day? As ever with these things. there's always more questions to answer! I must try and video it sometime.VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-50165643264201012662013-08-02T09:57:53.759+01:002013-08-02T09:57:53.759+01:00Another lot emerged yesterday (Thurs 1st Aug) - pe...Another lot emerged yesterday (Thurs 1st Aug) - perhaps some fly your way? ;)<br /><br />I'm very impressed you're part of the test tube part of the survey :)VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-85800681371897292902013-07-31T08:01:04.866+01:002013-07-31T08:01:04.866+01:00I share your views on ants and try to keep away fr...I share your views on ants and try to keep away from them - especially the flying ones. I've always subscribed to the idea of one plague of flying ants, now will be on the alert for the second fly past. It makes sense that ants would prefer dry areas for their nests - we have one big ants' nest that I know of (and can't do anything about as it's right in the corner of a raised brick border); I'd lazily left a turf of grass on the wall near that nest after digging out a space for a new apple tree in January and, turning it over recently, found large numbers of ants' eggs underneath. Fascinating to watch as hundreds of ants mustered out of the ground to cart the precious eggs off to safety! (It didn't work as I got rid of them).Carohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11317388242574705433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-90525878611430853372013-07-30T21:36:47.601+01:002013-07-30T21:36:47.601+01:00Have a rather vivid and unpleasant memory of being...Have a rather vivid and unpleasant memory of being caught up in a cloudburst of flying ants at our local bus station one day last summer :( Now what I want to know is why can some ants fly whilst the majority I presume can't.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10794392333038962798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-81991553496990783122013-07-30T11:27:44.216+01:002013-07-30T11:27:44.216+01:00I had loads of flying ants last year - in a big he...I had loads of flying ants last year - in a big herb planter on the patio, in cracks around a manhole cover on the patio and even in tomato grow bags in the greenhouse. So, here I am armed with my little plastic test tube from the Society of Biology to collect samples for them - and not a flying ant is to be seen in my garden! Can you direct some of yours to Hertfordshire please?suburban veg gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08546041205509607893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-61432556061550746742013-07-30T11:11:41.436+01:002013-07-30T11:11:41.436+01:00Interesting that your swarming is much earlier tha...Interesting that your swarming is much earlier than ours. I have loads of red ants too, on the allotment :( I have to be careful if I disturb them as I'm very sensitive to their bites.VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-33659924984391288002013-07-30T11:10:33.422+01:002013-07-30T11:10:33.422+01:00So far my butterfly count has been the entire cabb...So far my butterfly count has been the entire cabbage white family. However, I did spot a comma the other day, which I was relieved to see!VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-39420741159781886912013-07-30T11:09:08.778+01:002013-07-30T11:09:08.778+01:00Hi Joanna - they nest in loads of my pots which su...Hi Joanna - they nest in loads of my pots which suggests I'm not watering them enough! Your starling has the right idea :) If I can, I open up the nest so the birds can have a feast. The ladybirds have been absent so far this year, but I did find a few on the allotment last week, so perhaps they're on their way here at last.VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-73947568808345100642013-07-30T09:53:23.721+01:002013-07-30T09:53:23.721+01:00Ours start to swarm and then seem to stop. One aft...Ours start to swarm and then seem to stop. One afternoon I saw a juvenile starling jumping up and down on the nest in the edge of the lawn, all the wingedy ones came walking out and then he dined on them. We never win with the ants, they just move house when we get rid of one nest. I find they like to nest in the base of artichoke plants and angelica, not to mention the cardoons. I get immensely annoyed by them farming aphids up and down my plants and very relieved when the ladybirds turn up to feed on the aphids. This year we are trying the ant nematode in some of the more annoying nests, not sure how effective it is.Joanna @ Zeb Bakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13524835664217239571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-68440547656523008702013-07-30T01:50:37.540+01:002013-07-30T01:50:37.540+01:00Fun! Gross and interesting! Yay science!Fun! Gross and interesting! Yay science!Lavender Pitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05665483945990939620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-84969080428540096122013-07-29T18:55:14.775+01:002013-07-29T18:55:14.775+01:00While I don't have flying ants in my current n...While I don't have flying ants in my current neighborhood, there have been swarms of little red ants going from hole to hole last week. Previous to that it was in May, just as the ground was warming up that the ants swarmed.petoskystonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01633621111274495078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-7867731096215899862013-07-29T11:07:29.321+01:002013-07-29T11:07:29.321+01:00I've had loads of ants this year too. Last ye...I've had loads of ants this year too. Last year was The Year of the Slug, this year I'm finding it's The Year of the Ant. I should have done the Big Butterfly Count at Stinchcombe Hill yesterday - it's a high area of grassland, and there were hundreds of flying things everywhere. Very interesting to know that in fact there isn't just one flying ant day per year - it always seems like there is.CJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14311693185700341580noreply@blogger.com