The aim of the colony/population every year is to produce winged, sexual ants which, when mature, fly off - small males, large females when they touch down on ground (which my be no further than a few centimetres from their starting point!) they rapidly get rid of their wings, find a mate, mate, find a suitable place for a new colony. As you say, many of them don't get that far.
Depending on the species, the old colony continues and some of the new queens may return ......
Don't think there's a particular 'trigger' but date of nuptial flight is probably determined mainly by temperature over spring/summer months but also food availability. If it is warm and there is plenty of food then flight will be earlier; so nuptial flights will generally be earlier in the south than in the north of the country. The final three weeks of July will cover the flight period for most years for most of England.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Madelinew  ....... I'm assuming, from the numbers that go, that there is a very low survival rate.
So is there a specific trigger?
What happens to the nest once the flying ants have gone?
Are they heading off to start new colonies? Mate?
Do they go at the same time across the whole country or is just very specific areas? |