Capturing Queens
The best time to get a queen is during the nuptial (mating) flights. In Britian this may take place at any date from May to October, and at any hour from very early morning to midnight. The earliest in the year I have casually observed the common black ant (Lasius niger) nuptial flights since 2001 is July 12th and the latest August 10th so this is the window you should be preparing for (L. Flavus (Yellow Meadow Ant) and M. rubra (Red ant) often take to the skies the same day). The flights most often occur on the warmest days in this time frame, often following rain and lacking strong wind.
Lasius flavus flights can occur later, mid-August seems to be more common, although flavus nuptials have been observed on the same day as niger with favourable conditions.
If you are in the field capturing queens, for ease of collection, you may wish to collect them all in a single container. I suggest something with sides at least 15cm high filled loosely with strips of kitchen role. This will hinder the ants escape if you are collecting many queens and will alleviate the need to keep opening and closing the lid. Ensure there are air holes on the lid which you will ultimately fit. The queens of niger and flavus will not fight in the short term.
Another good time to look for queens -if next summer is too long to wait for you- is a warm day in spring. Select a day that is unusually warm and a time of day when the sun has been shining for a few hours. This will increase the likelihood of finding a queen close to the surface. Find a fairly dry area in a clearing with lots of flattish rocks, branches, paving slabs etc to overturn, away from areas of heavy human traffic is often best. You may get lucky and find a queen this way. Check for any eggs and larvae that may already be present.
Otherwise, simply turn over stones and chance your luck. Red ants (Myrmica sp.) tend to be better for collecting entire colonies. Lifting a small sized stone may reveal a queen, dozens of workers and various brood. Try and collect as much as you can, but remember, these ants can sting! Summer is best as they are likely to be near the suface and you may be able to spot surface foragers.
Capturing Established Colonies
It is possible to capture established colonies, but for Lasius niger (the common black ant) and Lasius flavus (the Yellow Meadow ant) it is rare to be able to dig up an established nest and locate the queen. Additionally, you will most likely destroy the colony and come away empty handed. I would try to persuade you not to attempt this and simply wait for the nuptial flights.Even if you are able to excavate the entire colony, the likelihood is, the ants - and queen in particular - will not survive the transition into a captive environment. A queen that has spent its lifetime underground is likely to be acutely photosensitive. In my opinion, a lot of the enjoyment in keeping and observing ants comes from watching the colony mature from the single, founding queen stage.
Founding a new colony in captivity
As I have learnt from recent experience, have smaller containers ready for when you bring multiple queens back. Keeping queens from species such as L. niger together for any prolonged period is likely to hinder colony development. Naturally, queens would found colonies alone and keeping queens together may result in increased stress and/or increased cannibalisation of brood. Having other queens nearby may also influence egg production in the first instance.
About Us
AntBlog is a budding community of ant enthusiasts. We study ants and track ants in the news.... more
Featured
Latest updates
Do ants bleed? Ant circulatory system
Ant blood is a colourless liquid. It is circulated through the body by the contraction...
Formicarium
A formicarium is a purposefuly designed enclosure used to contain and study ants. The...
Eusociality
The term eusocial was introduced in 1966 by Entomologist Suzanne Batra and subsequentl...
About us
We're a community of ant enthusiasts who've been online since August 2008. Richard is ...
Keeping ants in captivity
Keeping and studying ants can be a rewarding experience. Wether you're interested in b...