Black garden ant
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| Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The black garden ant (Lasius niger) is a formicine monogynous ant, the type species of the subgenus Lasius, found all over Europe and in some parts of North America and Asia.
Nuptial flights happen at various times in the year throughout the species' range; in North America they usually occur during the autumn, whereas in Europe they generally take place during the hot summer months of July and August. Flights can contain thousands of winged males and females. L. niger is considered a pest in most areas.
Disparities between local weather conditions can cause nuptial flights to be out of phase amongst widespread populations of L. niger. During long-lasting, hot summers, flights can take place simultaneously across the country, but overcast weather with local patches of sunshine results in a far less synchronised emergence of alates.
Lasius niger is host to a number of temporary social parasites of the Lasius mixtus group including L. mixtus and L. umbratus.
[edit] In the Garden
This type of ant is a problem for some gardeners. They will farm aphids for the honeydew they excrete by bringing them inside the nest and bringing them back out again when necessary. The ants will also eat ripe fruits, especially fruits like strawberries that don't have a thick protective skin.
[edit] In the Home
Black garden ants often explore their surroundings quite extensively during early summer months in an effort to increase the food supply to their queen and her young, and also as a way of testing new ground in preparation for the nests' summer flight. In some cases, these explorations lead to a burrowing through mortar and brick. The usual response from humans when they see several ants in their house (usually the kitchen) is to panic and reach for the insecticide powder. A better method of eradicating ants from the house is to ensure that all food surfaces are clean and free from sugar and sweet substances that may tempt the ants frequently to return for food. Even in flight, the ants will soon realise that they have chosen the wrong place to start their mating flight. If left alone, the colony will nearly always choose an external wall to use as their official take off.
 queen with wings. |
 queen with her wings torn off. |
