whats with all the flying ants about today

Celtic Lion

they're everywhere! what the ****s going on? they just appeared today

Phlann

Jesus, is it flying ant day already?

What have I been doing all summer?

brianthebard

Hiding from the cold damp wet outside.

COH

Celtic Lion wrote: »

they're everywhere! what the ****s going on? they just appeared today

Time to get the old can of lynx and a lighter out

Celtic Lion

Phlann wrote: »

Jesus, is it flying ant day already?

What have I been doing all summer?

yeah you laugh now punk, but we'll see if your still laughing when they are crawling up your arsehole

Phlann

Oh yeah. Forgot about that.

edit: the cold and damp, I mean. not the ants in my arsehole. Although I've tried.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Ffs - DUBLIN FORUM!!!!

Wibbs

Muggy relatively dry day so up come the ants. A lot less than last year though. Wish I was on a river tonight, trout bloody luv em.

Phlann

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Ffs - DUBLIN FORUM!!!!

Flying ant day is national, not local.

SV

I'm going to back up the lynx+lighter approach

Jimbo

I for one welcome our new ant overlords and remind them that as a member of the media I would be an invalubale source for rounding up people to work in their underground sugar caves

Terry

How have I lived my whole life without seeing these things?

brianthebard

Wibbs wrote: »

Muggy relatively dry day so up come the ants. A lot less than last year though. Wish I was on a river tonight, trout bloody luv em.

would they go for any fly if they are going mad eating?I have a barely used fly rod and a few unknowns,i'd nearly pop out for a bit if i thought i had a chance. @terry:nature and dublin don't mix,thats why.

Flukey

Terry wrote: »

How have I lived my whole life without seeing these things?

Wow, we have a poster on boards who is less than a year old.

irlirishkev

Yeah, little feckers kept hitting me in the face as I cycled home from work this evening. They're everywhere!!

truecrippler

Wibbs wrote: »

Muggy relatively dry day so up come the ants. A lot less than last year though. Wish I was on a river tonight, trout bloody luv em.

Why, where you counting them?

LadyE

I had about a billion of them on my windscreen today (ok, about 20) and when I opened the door more flew into the car...THEN I was driving along ond one little fooker fell from the mirror thing onto my lap.

Not fricken impressed

trout

Wibbs wrote: »

Muggy relatively dry day so up come the ants. A lot less than last year though. Wish I was on a river tonight, trout bloody luv em.

ehhh ... no, not all trouts do ... some of us just like steak and beer, and maybe a few jaffa cakes.

JaneyMc

They were all over the bus today, lost Spanish freaking out. Amusing.

Terry

brianthebard wrote: »

would they go for any fly if they are going mad eating?I have a barely used fly rod and a few unknowns,i'd nearly pop out for a bit if i thought i had a chance. @terry:nature and dublin don't mix,thats why.

Leixlip is not in Dublin.
Where I live is close to the Royal Canal, two rivers and a stream.
There are lots of fields too.
I live in a nice place.

Flukey wrote: »

Wow, we have a poster on boards who is less than a year old.

Mental age, yes. The rest of me is 32 and I have perfect eyesight.

Pics or GTFO.

cazzy

Is that what they are ? I noticed lots of odd looking fly things alright everywhere on my walk to the car after work. they were everywhere on the path ! i never noticed them before.

brianthebard

Terry wrote: »

Leixlip is not in Dublin. Where I live is close to the Royal Canal, two rivers and a stream. There are lots of fields too. I live in a nice place. Mental age, yes. The rest of me is 32 and I have perfect eyesight. Pics or GTFO.

aw i didn't know that,we could've gone knacker drinking by the canal when i was at nuim.Oh well.Speaking of maynooth,i'm sure i've seen flying ants there.Its not far from leixlip.Do you go outside terry?

Terry

brianthebard wrote: »

aw i didn't know that,we could've gone knacker drinking by the canal when i was at nuim.Oh well.Speaking of maynooth,i'm sure i've seen flying ants there.Its not far from leixlip.Do you go outside terry?

No, I generally don't leave the house, except to go to the shops or to my friend's house.
However, as I'm in my friend's house now and his nephew is staying here tonight, I'll ask the nephew when he gets back if he has seen them. He down near the stream with his friends. Probably smoking weed or something. He's that age don't you know.

Flukey

While it seems that they must be communicating to all come out together, it is actually down to temperature and other environmental conditions that triggers them to come out. It is always on humid and days when there is little or no wind. It usually happens several times during the summer. There are also some other good reasons for them to come out together. There is more chance of them mating with so many around. There is a greater chance that some will survive and found new nests, and with so many there is less chance of the predators getting them all.

Josiah Bartlett

How long do they say around for. I havent seen these buggers before.

Flukey

Basically it will just be for the evening, but we are likely to have the same thing happen on a few other days over the coming months.

marcsignal

They're mating. They mate in flight, and when they're done the female (big one) lands, tears off her wings, and then goes looking for a place to hibernate and lay eggs for next summer.

If you're in your garden or house over the next few days, and see a big ant, with no wings, walking about your kitchen or on your front or back path, kill it, it's an impregnated female looking for a suitable nest site. It will save you the hassle of having to deal with hundreds of them coming into your kitchen next summer if they have started a nest in your wall cavity.

Mossy Monk

Flying Ants?

Can't say I have ever heard of them. Let alone see one.

Terry

Josiah Bartlett wrote: »

How long do they say around for. I havent seen these buggers before.

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Flying Ants?

Can't say I have ever heard of them. Let alone see one.

See. I'm not the only one.
Granted one of the others is stalking Dubya, but still...

Flukey

It happens every year, several times, and the threads about them always appear here too. So I don't know where you guys have been.

gurramok

marcsignal wrote: »

They're mating. They mate in flight, and when they're done the female (big one) lands, tears off her wings, and then goes looking for a place to hibernate and lay eggs for next summer.

If you're in your garden or house over the next few days, and see a big ant, with no wings, walking about your kitchen or on your front or back path, kill it, it's an impregnated female looking for a suitable nest site. It will save you the hassle of having to deal with hundreds of them coming into your kitchen next summer if they have started a nest in your wall cavity.

So your advocating killing females who are preggers?

BrokenArrows

i thought someone was just making a funny comment when they said "flying ant day" but it is actually a recognised term.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_ant_day

also flying ants for anyone that does not recognise the name they will recognise the picture

http://images.google.ie/images?hl=en&q=flying%20ant&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Phlann

BrokenArrows wrote: »

i thought someone was just making a funny comment when they said "flying ant day" but it is actually a recognised term.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_ant_day

Man, that's weird. I've been calling it that for years but I didn't know anybody else said it.

Terry

gurramok wrote: »

So your advocating killing females who are preggers?

Surely he's saying they have the right to seek an alternative to giving birth and should be allowed to travel to England to avail of this alternative.

MooseJam

ok this happens every year without fail and every year someone comes on here and says oh noes whats happening, it happens EVERY YEAR people , get used to it

Terry

Not until I witness it myself.

Phlann

Terry wrote: »

Not until I witness it myself.

Are you just going to stubbornly stay in your house denying its existence or actually go discover flying ant day for yourself? :pac:

You can't miss them. I got a few in my hair when I went to get my dinner a while ago.

Flukey

If the radar goes crazy at Dublin airport again, they'll never make it.

Supercell

Terry go out for a stroll in a green area like a park or the countryside proper...all shall be revealed.

I think these flying barstewards are great motivational tools whilst jogging, the faster you run the less of them are buzzng in your ear!
My legs fupping ache though.

gurramok

Pics or it didn't happen

Terry wrote:

Surely he's saying they have the right to seek an alternative to giving birth and should be allowed to travel to England to avail of this alternative

Can pregger ants fly to England from here? Any scientists to prove ot a possibility?

Think we need a referendum if they have the right to travel

Flukey

Terry wrote: »

Not until I witness it myself.

You have now.

jaffa20

Freaky little things and annoying. They followed me the whole way from work onto the train and then luas. Twas funny seeing everyone waving their hands around i still can feel them itching away at me:mad:

gurramok

jaffa20 wrote: »

Freaky little things and annoying. They followed me the whole way from work onto the train and then luas. Twas funny seeing everyone waving their hands around i still can feel them itching away at me:mad:

Sounds like some randy male ants trying to impregate you

Hal1

Oh no! those flying bastards are back ffs :mad:

marcsignal

gurramok wrote: »

So your advocating killing females who are preggers?

only the ones expecting more than 500 sprogs at a time



I have bad news for anyone who thinks they're being bitten, there's formic acid in their urine, they're pissing on you....

6th

I can't believe someone actually started this thread! I was gonna start it after my nightmare drive home on the moped.

2 of the massive bastards flew under the visor of my bike helmet and I had to calmy bring myself to a halt. Once I kept the visor down it was better but in this weather it was horrible not to have any air. Even when they could get to my face (were they no doubt would have climbed into my nose/ears/mouth) I could just feel them boucing off me as I drove.

I stopped at traffic lights and a something flwe past my face "Thank fcuk, its only a wasp" ... thats how bad it was, I'm fcukin' terrified of wasps!

The Crumlin area of Dublin was the worst. I had visions of the ants not letting me make it home so I couldnt log on here and start a thread warning people about their impending take-over ....... then I got distracted by my wife and kids and forgot about it all.

Terry

6th wrote: »

I can't believe someone actually started this thread! I was gonna start it after my nightmare drive home on the moped.

2 of the massive bastards flew under the visor of my bike helmet and I had to calmy bring myself to a halt. Once I kept the visor down it was better but in this weather it was horrible not to have any air. Even when they could get to my face (were they no doubt would have climbed into my nose/ears/mouth) I could just feel them boucing off me as I drove.

I stopped at traffic lights and a something flwe past my face "Thank fcuk, its only a wasp" ... thats how bad it was, I'm fcukin' terrified of wasps!

The Crumlin area of Dublin was the worst. I had visions of the ants not letting me make it home so I couldnt log on here and start a thread warning people about their impending take-over ....... then I got distracted by my wife and kids and forgot about it all.

6th, what you experienced was fragments from pipe bombs.
The rest of you are high or something.

6th

Terry wrote: »

6th, what you experienced was fragments from pipe bombs.
The rest of you are high or something.

But when I took off my helmet to get the bastards out one of them spoke to me!

Flukey

6th wrote:

But when I took off my helmet to get the bastards out one of them spoke to me!

Was it looking for directions or a lift?

COH

marcsignal wrote: »

only the ones expecting more than 500 sprogs at a time

So your saying that given the similar birth rate that the females wearing pjyamas in public down by connoly station are in fact flying ants? Because that would surprisingly make alot of sense

condra

I happen to be a keen myrmecologist.
_____________
- extract from a post I made in the nature section:

Today (Tuesday 22nd of July) was a very special day in Ireland.

The common black garden ant (Lasius Niger) earler today had its annual mating flights, and many tons of pregnant females are tonight scattered across the country, now wingless and scuttling along the ground, in search of suitable nesting grounds.

The winged males will die alone regardless of wether or not they were fortunate enough to mate, a couple of hundred feet in the air, over our heads today, oblivious to us, oblivious to them.

The females can be found everywhere now. In gardens, parks, outside your local supermarket. Maybe you have seen them. If not, go out with a torch or examine the cracks in the pavement outside your home.
Some may even still be around tomorrow, desperatly seeking out somewhere to rest, and lay their precious eggs.

Most of them will be eaten, but a tiny minority will survive to start new colonys, which may grow to a thousand (infertile daughters) strong, and this time next year, perhaps some very special daughters of theirs will make the same journey.
_____________


Incidentally, ant keeping ("ant farming") is becomming more and more popular in Germany and UK as a hobby, both for young and old alike. Each of these pregnant female ants could legally be sold within UK/Ire, for about 10 euro each (by post, in a test tube)

Wether or not it's cruel, is not for me to decide, but I chose not to collect any ants to sell (like I did last year), simply because I value my time more nowadays, and it is not worth the hassle.