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The saddest thing about this time of year is the lack of ants. :(
I have my pet colony, (carpenters) and the ants at the museum. (honeypots and leafcutters) ... but I never see any ants in the park, or on the sidewalk or trees.
It's so lonely.
Have you wondered where all the ants go?
In winter ants like my carpenters enter "diapause" which is similar to hibernation in mammals. They prepare their bodies for cold and move slowly. Deep in the earth and in the trees they rest in a big pile.
@futurebird found a new colony of harvester ants today under some boards. They're a lot more fun to be around than the fire ants that are usually everywhere here.
@futurebird LOL you haven't seen my backyard.
I'd like to believe the ants this time of year are underground at their sports stadiums cheering their teams, strength training at the gyms, going out to various underground shops and sharing a coffee, studying for exams, you know ant stuff.
I wonder if there have ever been migrating army ants?
Ants that don't build a nest and live in the south in the winter then make their way north as the weather warms eating everything in their path?
Maybe army ants just can't make enough progress in a day to get that far.
... but what if they brought back their wings? 🤔 🐜 🐦
@futurebird
Ants running locust software
@futurebird SPACE FORCE ANTS
I have those in my book.
@futurebird Air force ants?
@futurebird I relate! My turtle brumates and it makes me miss her. The good thing about brumation is it's also not as total as hibernation. But I usually don't catch her right as she gets up to drink water, but just see the aftermath (water gone, her in a different position).
@futurebird Hmmm... this post showed up underneath yours with a possible answer to "where did all the ants go?" https://wandering.shop/deck/@birds@moresci.sale/115793779426265302
My pet ants aren't very cold (though I do put them in a cooler place for winter) Diapause isn't as extreme as hibernation. An ant may have a small snack or groom her sisters. But mostly they rest.
Starting in the warm days of March they will wake up and begin a big push to increase their numbers for Spring.
@futurebird just curious, is it possible to safely keep a colony with the seasons artificially offset, through heatlamps and AC? not saying that one should or advocating, just wondering if it is even feasible for an individual without harming them
It depends on the species. Ants aren't harmed much by staying active in winter if they are used to being more seasonal, the issue is the queen my die younger since she never takes a break from laying eggs. (though tropical species don't take such breaks)
Carpenter ants are very hearty and just making things more cool and feeding them less is good enough.
@futurebird that sounds nice.
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