Ant video 1

This is clearly not the video but that took up so much space that I have published it as a separate post.  It may still be too big.

If it works you will see five types of the species Lasius niger, the Black Garden Ant.

This occurred when I lifted up a large stone perched on a low wall.  This whole ant city was exposed.   The little workers busy themselves evacuating the pupae (which are sometimes wrongly called 'ants eggs') and the smaller larvae, and taking them to safety underground.

Some of the pupae have already hatched into winged ants: the larger ones are the females and the smaller ones are males.  If it hadn't been for the rainstorm that followed they might all have soared into the air on their nuptial flight.  

This is their one day in the sun, when after mating the males die and the females or 'queens' bite off their wings (like taking off their wedding finery), find an underground cavity and start a new nest.  

All the nests in the neighbourhood seem to magically choose the same day so that intermarriage between different colonies is guaranteed.These nuptial events cause panic among some humans 

"Help! Help!  Flying ants!"   

but it is only one afternoon.   Let them enjoy their afternoon of love - the ants, I mean.

Unfortunately this is the worst video of those I took.  Too much moving the camera about.  But it is the only one short enough to include on the blog.  Please excuse the tuneless whistling which I didn't realise I was doing.  

I'm appalled to discover I may be turning into one of those old whistling codgers.