Black garden ants (Lasius niger) often nest under pavements, garden paths and house walls. Unfortunately a stone slab left in one place for a week may be used as a roof for an extension to the nest. I moved one such slab and panic broke out. The main task for the little workers was to save the pupae (often referred to as 'ants eggs') which had been up near the surface ready to emerge as the familiar flying ants.
Although they were eventually effective in carrying the pupae underground, there was a lot of rushing about and getting in each other's way.
I had a really good video of this but it was too large a file to put on the blog.
But you get the idea.
When the flying ants appear in the next few weeks, be merciful. It's the one day of the year when male and female ants from different nests meet up in the 'nuptial flight'. They mate, after which the females remove their wings and crawl underground to start laying eggs to form a new colony. The males wander about a bit and die. Ho hum.
So it's their one afternoon of ecstasy. Give 'em a break.
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