whats with all the flying ants about today

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.

RuailleBuaille

I HATE the fuckers. Every year in my mam's house ther'd be hundreds of them, a mass march to the windows. Mad thing was, it was like all the birds outside knew they were coming, they'd all be outside just waiting to gobble them down.
I had forgotten all about the phenomenon until today when I stopped for a chat with a friend. I was wearing flipflops and thought I felt something tickle me, I looked down - :eek: the ground was crawling with them, as was I. :eek: Ants are great but I fucking hate those flying bastards.

marcsignal

COH wrote: »

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

I didn't want to say it first

I'm might email Kevin Myres tho, and run the idea by him, just wait til you see the indo next week

RuailleBuaille

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Ffs - DUBLIN FORUM!!!!

Chip. Shoulder. Much?


Interesting that ants don't exist outside of BÁC.

:rolleyes:

JerryHandbag

Was washin my car this evening, bent down to pick up the sponge, got back up and there they were, hundreds of the poxy little bastids dancing the can-can on the roof.....LAUGHING AT ME! LAUGHING! I COULD HEAR THEM!:eek:

Flukey

French ants, were they? The president must have left a few behind him.

jaffa20

womoma wrote: »

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.

The ant appreciation thread is here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=56651952&posted=1#post56651952 :P

6th

womoma wrote: »

I happen to be a keen myrmecologist.

How do we kill them?! Pick a side!

condra

You will never kill them all so it's pointless. Also pointless because they are quite harmless, and probably the most fascinating creatures on this island.

Did you know, for example, that they farm aphids? They drink aphid urine, so look after aphids and protect them from predators. Ants even "herd" aphids from one place to the next.

Undefinable

I missed flying ant day? No! I thought I saw one on the ground this morning, but figured there'd be more around if it really was a flying ant.
So disappointed now.

jaffa20

Undefinable wrote: »

I missed flying ant day? No! I thought I saw one on the ground this morning, but figured there'd be more around if it really was a flying ant.
So disappointed now.

I'll save a few eggs for you till next year :rolleyes: