The Flying Ant - A Nuptial Flight!
by Dr. Carolyn Pararas-Carayannis

Many people do not believe there are any such things as flying ants - but there are. Except for a few species, all males and sexually mature, ready-to-mate queens have have wings. Let's look at Carpenter ants, for instance. During late winter and early spring swarms of winged queens and winged males (produced during late summer) emerge from mature colony (satellite) nests for their nuptial flights. If nest locations are indoors, swarming individuals are easily identified, often trapped within the structure. The simultaneous mating flight of all winged sexual's produced from colonies within a specific geographic area is called "Nuptial Flight". This "swarming" is triggered by optimal environmental conditions (warm and humid) and read more

Ant Farms
by Dr. Carolyn Pararas-Carayannis

Ant farms make great educational hobbies, especially for children. Although very tiny and unable to survive on their own, ants work together large family groups called colonies. Because ants are eusocial*, have specialized divisions of labor within the colony and demonstrate effective communication and self-organization, individuals devote their lives and work in unison for the good of the colony. Thus the colony, behaving as a superorganism*, thrives as though it was a single organism of a higher order. Adults and children alike are often curious about what ants do underground, since most ant nests are subterranean and many of their activities take place obscured from view. But with the aid of specially constructed colony containments, called ant farm aquariums, one can study Formicidae behaviors and view their day-to-day subterranean activities with ease. Suitable ant farm aquariums allows read more