When to Catch Queen Ants: Nuptial Flight Schedules | AntsCanada Tutorial #36

Summary

This video tutorial from Ants Canada offers tips on capturing queen ants during their nuptial flights, highlighting the best times and methods for North America, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. It covers essential advice, such as not mixing queens and seeking permission for collection, and provides a guide to the flight schedules of common ant species.

Takeaways

• 🐜 The best part of ant keeping is catching a queen and raising a thriving colony from its originating queen.
• 🌍 Nuptial flight schedules for common ant species are provided for North America, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
• 🕒 Queens can be found at all times of the day, but the afternoon is preferred, and a black light can help attract them.
• 🔍 Always carry snap cap vials and a business card or playing card for capturing queen ants.
• ⚠ Do not mix queen ants as they may fight and use formic acid, which can be deadly in an enclosed space.
• 🚫 Catching queens with wings is not an indicator of a successful capture; they may still break off wings later.
• 🏠 Always get permission when collecting on private or public property and secure necessary permits.
• 🌧 The best time to find queen ants is after a rainstorm and in warm, humid weather.
• 🏠 Do not catch queens near their nest; instead, search a block away to encourage genetic diversity.
• 📦 Collect as many queen ants as you like, but consider joining the gang project for excess colonies.
• 🌱 With persistence, beginners can find queen ants, and climate change may affect nuptial flight schedules.

Q & A

What is the most rewarding part of ant keeping according to the video?

The most rewarding part of ant keeping is catching a queen ant, nurturing her through the nuptial flight, and caring for her as she produces her thriving ant colony. The bond formed with the pet and colony is unique.

What are the best months to look for queen ants in North America, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia?

The best months vary by region: North America has specific months for different species, Europe generally has flights from April to October, Australia's ant season is opposite with flights in spring (September to November), and Southeast Asia mostly has flights at the beginning of the rainy season, typically May to July.

What are some tips for hunting queen ants during their nuptial flights?

Tips include looking for queens at all times of the day with preference for afternoons, using a black light to attract them, always carrying snap cap vials, not mixing caught queens, and catching queens even if they still have their wings.

Why should you not mix caught queen ants?

You should not mix caught queen ants because they may fight, and if they are formic acid sprayers, they may spray each other to death, which is especially disastrous in an enclosed space like a snap cap vial or bottle.

What should you do if you are collecting ants on private property or government land?

You should always get formal permission if collecting on private property or secure the necessary permits if collecting on government or public property.

Why is it recommended not to catch queen ants near their origin nest?

It's recommended not to catch queen ants near their origin nest because ants generally fly and mate away from their origin nest, which helps mix the gene pool and prevents sibling mating.

What is the GAM project mentioned in the video, and how can it help ant keepers?

The GAM project is a community effort to help ant keepers sell or give away their colonies to others who are interested. It promotes the ant keeping hobby and helps connect keepers worldwide.

How can climate change affect the nuptial flight schedules of ants?

Climate change can cause high degrees of change in the nuptial flight schedules of ants, making them less predictable as the climate becomes more unstable.

What are some common ant species to look for in North America during their nuptial flights?

Some common ant species in North America include Pheidole, Camponotus, Tetramorium, Formica, and Lasius, with specific species like Camponotus Noveborusque and Lasius neoniger being favorites for beginners.

What is the best time to look for queen ants according to the video?

The best time to look for queen ants is the day or two after a rainstorm and during warm, humid days. They are also more likely to be spotted in countryside, suburban, or field areas.

How can ant keepers contribute to protecting the planet and maintaining stable ecosystems?

Ant keepers can contribute by doing their part to protect the planet, such as reducing waste, conserving resources, and raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity and climate stability.

Outlines

00:00

🐜 Ant Keeping 101: Nuptial Flights and Queen Collection

This paragraph introduces the video's focus on ant keeping, emphasizing the unique bond formed with a queen ant and her colony. It outlines the best times to find queen ants, the importance of being prepared with collection tools, and the necessity of not mixing different queen ants to avoid conflict. It also touches on the legal aspects of collecting on private or public land and suggests joining a group project for those with excess colonies.

05:01

🌍 Nuptial Flight Schedules for Ants Across the Globe

The paragraph provides a comprehensive guide to the nuptial flight schedules of various common ant species in North America, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. It details the specific months and conditions under which different species are most likely to be found, including the preferred times of day and environmental factors that increase the chances of spotting queen ants. The video also recommends certain beginner-friendly species and notes the importance of collecting queens away from their nests to promote genetic diversity.

10:03

🌱 Seasonal Variations and Climate Impact on Ant Nuptial Flights

This paragraph discusses the impact of regional climates on ant nuptial flight schedules and acknowledges the changes observed due to climate variability. It emphasizes the importance of adaptability for ant keepers and the need for environmental stewardship. The speaker also invites viewers to share their experiences and knowledge about ant species and their flight schedules in regions not covered in the video, such as Africa, South America, and the Middle East. The paragraph concludes with an invitation to join the ant keeping community and participate in the group project for buying, selling, or giving away ant colonies.

Keywords

💡Ant Keeping

Ant keeping is the hobby of raising and observing ant colonies. It involves capturing queen ants and nurturing them to establish thriving colonies. The video emphasizes the unique bond formed between the keeper and the ants, highlighting the rewarding experience of raising ants from a single queen to a full colony.

💡Nuptial Flight

Nuptial flight is a term used to describe the mating flight of ants, where winged male and female ants leave their nests to mate. The video discusses the importance of this period for ant keepers, as it is the best time to capture queen ants for starting new colonies. The script provides schedules for nuptial flights of various species.

💡Queen Ants

Queen ants are the reproductive females in an ant colony. They are crucial for starting new colonies and are the focus of the video. The script advises on how to identify and capture queen ants during their nuptial flights, emphasizing the need to handle them carefully to ensure their survival.

💡Polygynous

Polygynous refers to a social structure where a colony has multiple queens. The video mentions that while polygyny occurs in the wild, in captivity, queens may fight to the death, making it a critical consideration for ant keepers when deciding whether to house multiple queens together.

💡Formic Acid

Formic acid is a defensive secretion used by ants, particularly when they feel threatened. The video warns that if queen ants are captured together, they might spray formic acid at each other, which can be lethal in a confined space like a test tube or vial.

💡Snap Cap Vials

Snap cap vials are containers used for capturing and transporting ants. The video suggests always having these on hand when searching for queen ants, as they provide a convenient and secure way to transport the ants without causing harm.

💡Private Property

The video advises obtaining permission or permits when collecting ants on private or public property. This is an important legal consideration for ant keepers, ensuring that they respect property rights and regulations.

💡Rainstorm

The video suggests that the best time to look for queen ants is the day or two after a rainstorm, as well as during warm and humid conditions. This is likely due to the increased activity of ants following periods of rain.

💡Gene Pool

The concept of the gene pool refers to the total genetic variation within a population. The video mentions that ants generally fly and mate away from their origin nest to mix the gene pool, preventing inbreeding among siblings.

💡Ant Species

The video provides detailed information on various ant species and their nuptial flight schedules. Examples include Camponotus, Formica, and Lasius, among others. Understanding these species is essential for ant keepers who want to capture and raise specific types of ants.

💡Climate Change

The video notes that climate change is impacting the nuptial flight schedules of ants, causing shifts in their mating periods. This underscores the importance of adapting ant keeping practices to changing environmental conditions and the broader implications for biodiversity.

Highlights

The best part of ant keeping is catching a queen and caring for her as she produces her own thriving ant colony.

The bond formed with a pet and colony raised from its originating queen is unique.

Springtime is the beginning of ant season, and many people are asking about the best months to look for queen ants.

You can look for queen ants at all times of the day, with afternoons being preferred.

Using a black light can help attract queen ants during the night.

Always carry snap cap vials and a business card or playing card for capturing queen ants.

Do not mix queen ants as they may fight and use formic acid spray, which can be deadly in enclosed spaces.

Catch queen ants even if they still have their wings, as wings are not the best indicator of a queen's readiness.

Always get formal permission when collecting on private property or secure necessary permits for government or public property.

The best time to look for queen ants is the day or two after a rainstorm and during warm, humid days.

Avoid catching queen ants near their nest to promote genetic diversity and prevent inbreeding.

Collect as many queen ants as you like, but be prepared for not all to make it to the worker stage.

Join the gang project for those with more ant colonies than they can handle, to sell or give away colonies.

Persistence is key in finding queen ants, and beginners often find multiple queens in their first year.

Nuptial flight schedules for common ants in North America include Penile Epis in February to April, and Camponotus ants from April to July.

In Europe, look out for various species of Camponotus ants from April to August, and Lasius Niger from July to August.

In Australia, Iridum irmak species fly in spring from September to November, and Camponotus species in summer from December to February.

In Southeast Asia, queen ants can be found year-round, but mostly at the beginning of the rainy season.

Climate change is impacting nuptial flight schedules, showing high degrees of change each year.

Ant keeping is a wonderful hobby that requires patience and love, and with the right tools and knowledge, you can grow the ant colony of your dreams.

Transcripts

hello innkeepers welcome to another ads

Canada video the best part of the end

keeping experience in my opinion is

catching a queen and during the optional

flight and caring for her as she

produces her own thriving ant colony the

bond you formed with a pet and colony

that you have raised from just its

originating queen is unlike any other in

north america and europe it's now

springtime and the beginning of ant

season Assam so many of you have begun

to write to us asking when the best

months are to look for queen ants so

this is a special video tutorial we will

break down for you the nuptial flight

schedules of some of the most common ant

species for North America Europe

Australia and Southeast Asia ok so

before I go into the schedules let's go

over the 10 things you need to know when

hunting for queen ants during nuptial

flights one you can look for Queens at

all times of the day I prefer looking in

the afternoons but you can literally

find queen ants wandering from dusk till

dawn and you can find queen elates in

the night what's especially helpful is

if you have a black light this tends to

attract some queen heads too you never

know where you'll find a queen end so

always have snap cap vials with you on

hand every time you leave the house it

also helps to carry a business card or a

playing card that you can slip

underneath the Queen and when you've

trapped her under your vial or bottle 3

when you catch your queen ants do not

mix them as they may fight and if there

are formic acid sprayer then they may

formic acid spray each other to death

and in an enclosed space like in a snap

cap vial or bottle this can be

disastrous for when you test tube the

Queen's test tube them separately even

if they are known to be polygynous

polygyny happens in the wild but for

whatever reason in captivity they

usually go as far as plio mattresss only

where they raise their brood

cooperatively and then they end up

fighting to death leading to one or all

Queen's dying 5 be sure to catch the

Queen ants even if they still have their

wings wings are not the best indicator

that a queen ant has made it prior to

her capture

sometimes the Queen's will break off

their wings inside the test tube or they

keep their wings on entirely throughout

the process of colony founding 6

always get formal permission if you are

collecting on private property or

secured the necessary permits if

collecting on government or public

property seven the best time to go

looking for Queen elates

are the day or two after a rainstorm and

during warm humid dates also you'll have

a better chance of spotting queen ants

in the countryside suburbs or field

areas 8 do not catch a queen a late

inside or in the immediate area of her

nest if you happen to see an ant nest

with Queen and male elates boiling out

from the entrances do not catch those

Queens instead walk a block away in any

direction and search there the reason is

because ants generally fly and mate away

from their origin nest this is nature's

way of helping mix the gene pool up and

it keeps sibling elates from mating with

each other 9

feel free to collect as many queen ants

as you like as not all of the Queens

will make it to the worker stage but

don't go overboard I also highly suggest

you join our gang project if you have

more ant colonies than you can handle

and we can help find aspiring and

keepers in your area to buy these

colonies off you or we can find people

to whom you can give them away it helps

promote the and keeping hobby in your

region and helps make you some extra

cash doing what you love for more

information on buying and selling ants

through our gam project visit our

website and click on Queen ants for sale

and finally ten if you can't find the

queen ant right away don't lose hope if

you see ants crawling around in your

area then you can be sure that there are

definitely quinol aids flying at some

point of the year with persistence you

will eventually find a queen ant and

most beginners actually end up finding

at least two or three in their first

year ok so let's start with nuptial

flight schedules for common ants in

North America the first ants to fly in

the year all across North America are

penile Epis in Paris also known as

winter ends look out for them from

February to April

they are elusive and there's usually a

small window of opportunity each year to

find them when you do you're lucky they

will even fly when there's frost on the

ground hence their name next look out

carpenter ants known scientifically as

camponotus ends camponotus ants can be

caught from April to July with the bulk

of them flying in May the Queen's are

easy to spot due to their size and they

make great pets

remember that camponotus ants take a

long time to mature so it takes about

two months minimum for an egg to develop

into a worker one of my favorite ends to

keep in North America is camponotus Nova

Bora Kansas you can check out some of

our camponotus November Kansas videos on

this channel then look out for Tetra

more iam species e another awesome

beginner species now these small and

easy to care for and fast-growing

species of ants fly from May to July

with the bulk of them flying in June the

nuptial flights happen in early morning

from 4 to 6 a.m. but I do recommend

looking for them in the afternoon when

they have already made it and are out

looking for suitable places to start a

nest next the month of July is Formica

month you can find Formica fusca and the

larger Formica sub-servicer Queens

throughout July the elusive

crematogaster Queens with their

heart-shaped casters can be found from

August to September this is a very

sought-after genus so if you happen to

find them good on you finally lay seus

ants fly from July to October with the

bulk of them flying from late August to

early September look out for Laci s neo

Niger the Labor Day ant named after the

fact that they fly around Labor Day

these ants are great pets and have a lot

of energy now all of these ants

mentioned are my favorite and I do

recommend them for beginners and in my

experience based on you guys writing in

to us they are the most commonly kept in

North America as well other ends to look

out for depending on where in north

america you live are Tappin alma Susilo

in may to june if you're lucky enough to

live in Texas Louisiana or northeastern

Mexico you can find a detects ana in May

those are fungus growers next look out

for solenopsis species also known as

fire ants from April to July pagana

mirmix species also known as harvester

ants fly from June to July from June to

August you can also find fake doli ends

which are very polymorphic ends

with really tiny workers two very big

super majors from June to September you

can find Tenma thorax curvy spinosus

also known as acorn ants they literally

create colonies in acorns and in

September look out for a fennel gaster

now if you want a challenge and want to

try keeping semi claustral species

Panera and murica ants fly later in the

year usually right before it gets kinda

chilly anywhere between August and

November now moving on to Europe wow

I've never been to Europe so I had to do

my research on this and I'd like to give

credit to Hugo Dara's west Phaeton Simon

Theodore Svendsen and na marabunta org

now Europe has a pretty diverse range of

climates and therefore aunt nuptial

flight schedules but here are some of

the main nuptial flight schedules for

the most common ant species the Queen's

of Messer ends which are sort of a type

of harvester ant can be found from April

to May and September to October

depending on the species and your region

look out for various species of

camponotus ants from April to August

with the bulk of them happening

somewhere in the middle touch amore my

spit on the European and Asian relative

of tetra Mauryan species II in North

America also fly from May to July next

look out for lacy s Niger the Golden

Retrievers of the ant world queens of

lacy s Niger can be found flying

anywhere from July to August throughout

Europe around two to three weeks after

lacy a snide reply you'll find Formica

ants flying so look out for those Queens

from July to September but also into

October depending on where in Europe you

live

finally crematogaster ants fly from July

to October with the bulk of them flying

in September and October let's move on

to Australia for this I'd like to credit

Jordan Dean from the YouTube channel

ants Australia Australia is in the

southern hemisphere so their seasons are

backwards from that of North America and

Europe for those of you in Australia be

sure to look out for Iridum irmak

species that fly in the spring from

September to November then look out for

Campanaro species in the summer which

fly from December to February finally

look up for fadela Queens in autumn

which fly from March to May now let's

move on to Southeast Asia

I currently live in the Philippines and

find it

lates has been a bit interesting much of

Southeast Asia have similar climates and

the general rule is you will find Queen

Anne's year-round but mostly at the

beginning of the rainy season the summer

and if different from the summer at the

start of the dry season however the bulk

of Queen elates can be found at the

beginning of rainy season for those of

you in Southeast Asia be sure to look up

for queens of eco Phyllis Mara Dina the

world-famous Weaver ants these can be

found at the beginning of the rainy

season usually around May to July also

from May to July you'll find Fay

delegate and I versus recently renamed

Cara bairdi versus these ads are

notoriously difficult to keep alive in

captivity but if you're successful

you're lucky next you can find Queens of

the famous or should I say infamous

salon obsessed Caminada now these ants

fly year-round but look particularly at

the start of rainy season around March

and May and also during the cooler

months of November to January queens of

camponotus ends fly year-round but

mostly towards the end of the year for

those of you lucky enough to be in

Sumatra Singapore Malaysia Borneo and

Thailand I hope you can find campaneris

gigas recently renamed Dynamics gigas

and it's one of the largest ants in

existence with Queens measuring up to

just under 2 inches long finally be sure

to look out for Queens of paracho kina

longer cornice also known as black crazy

ants now these ants also fly year-round

but you can find the most at the start

of the summer and that's it

sorry I couldn't include other regions

like Africa South America Middle East

other parts of Asia and the Pacific

Islands as the information out there

seems to be either scarce or conflicting

but if you're an ant keeper from any of

these places please do leave a comment

in the comment section and let us know

what ends to expect and when they have

their nuptial flights also keep in mind

that these dates are not absolute and

the schedules can vary depending on

region and climate of the year as a side

note throughout all of my year's event

keeping I've noticed that with climate

change impacting us more

more the nuptial flight schedules of

familiar ants are starting to show high

degrees of change as each year rolls in

so let's always remember guys to do our

part to protect the planet and to keep

the earth as stable as we can and

keeping is a wonderful hobby that takes

patience and love and with the right

tools and knowledge you'll eventually

grow the ant colony of your dreams it's

a great journey of discovery remember

guys to visit ants Canada Kong if you

need any and keeping gear we ship

worldwide and our products are designed

for a variety of different ant species

if you don't know what you need just

email us at info and ant canada calm and

remember if you have any young or old

ant colonies you would like to sell or

give away please join our gang project

everyone is invited it's totally free

totally risk-free easy to sign up and it

will help other end keepers in your

region keep pens to so many people

around the world are emailing us asking

where they can get an ant colony and

maybe you can be the one to help them as

well as make some extra money in return

for several years now we've been able to

connect thousands of egg keepers all

around the world so please consider the

GAM project thanks again for watching

guys and don't forget to subscribe and

leave a comment happy ending and good

luck on catching those Queens and love

forever thank you guys so much for

watching our new video and tutorial on

nuptial flight wishing you all the best

of luck this year on catching your queen

ants and don't forget to subscribe to

this channel if you like what you saw

and check out some of the other videos

on our channel visit us at ant canada

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see ya