This category is for articles containing information about ants.
Welcome to Flying Ant Day 2023, when all those lovely winged ants take to the air. I was walking to work the other day during the mass flights, and there were swarms of them on the ground and up in the air. It took me longer to get to work as I was trying not […]
Flying Ant Day 2023 Read More »
Flying Ant Day is Here! Yes, it’s that time of year again when us ant enthusiasts get excited. Everybody else gets annoyed as flying ants in their thousands take to the air. Of course, to call it Flying Ant “Day” is a bit of a misnomer. Flying ants do not just fly on one day
Flying Ant Day is Here! Read More »
In my previous blog entry I stated that my Lasius umbratus had not produced any eggs this year. Well, I was wrong. Lasius umbratus I wanted to check on the soil within the nesting box, to make sure it was not too dry. As I lifted the lid I received a nice surpise; there were
Ant ID Request and Colony Update – Eggs and Flying Ants Read More »
I was recently contacted by Octopus Books who offered me an advance copy of a new book which is due for release on 6 May 21. The book is Empire of Ants by Susanne Foitzik and Olaf Fritsche. It was originally published in German in 2019, but this is the first English translation. Susanne Foitzik
Empire of Ants – Suzanne Foitzik & Olaf Fritsche Read More »
Today I learnt that the that the glass starter kit ant farm, that I have been using for many years, have been discontinued. I discovered this today when I received an enquiry from a visitor to my website, who asked me for advice on ant farm. The visitor informed me that the link on my website
Starter Kit Ant Farm Discontinued Read More »
One of the most common questions I get asked by new ant keepers, and even some of the more experienced ones, is that of how to add more water to the soil of your ant farm, when the ants are already resident within. Then there is the question of how much water to add, and
Adding Water to an Ant Farm – Ants Already in Read More »
When most people think about army ants, they probably see in their mind’s eye, long columns of ferocious ants, swarming over any poor creature that has had the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or you may picture a large curtain of ants hanging from a dead branch in the jungle.
Army Ants – Nomads of the Ant World Read More »
All ant colonies have at least one egg-laying queen. She is an essential member of the family. Without her there would be no colony. Some species of ant have only one queen in each nest. Others may have several, even numbering in the hundreds. Colonies/species that have only one queen are known as monogynous. Those
Polygyny In Ant Colonies Read More »
In this article, I discuss the evolution of ants. I answer the question of the origin of ants, their ancestors, and the evolutionary steps that occurred to bring us the ants we know today. The Origin of Ants Where, evolutionary speaking, did ants come from? Did they evolve from a common insect ancestor? Did they start
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Hello, and welcome to another ant article. Normally, being a Monday, I would provide an update to my current colonies. However, there has been little activity to report. Therefore, I have decided to write an article instead. This article is about the ants of Australia. I hope you find it informative. Disclaimer: I do not