Wood ants

[JonnyP]

Anyone seen a wood ants nest as big as this

 

[Galemys]

Isn't it a secret debris shelter from one of the other forum members?

 

[torjusg]

Yes, I have seen a few about this size I think. It sure rooms a lot of ants a nest this size. They say the nests are equally big under ground.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Dave Barker]

Yeps seen em here in the mid west of norway too.

I worked for a while in the south as a pest controller.

Had many a dealings with these critters.

The worse was where they had for some unknown reason built the nest in a house... the entire house ( between walls)

First thoughts that they were carpenter ants ( stokkmaur in noggin)

i found out this was not the cas when i opened a wall and blew in some powder. They came from everywhere and i got heavilly bitten... everywhere

Several days later i blew my nose... and thay had gotten there too.

the nest can house upto 10,000 individulas including the queen.... they are protected here in nog.
The nest is often t least as big under as on top.

 

[leon-1]

Nice picture Jon, where was it taken?

 

[JonnyP]

Thanks Leon..........Picture was taken in St Leonards forest, horsham. My favorite woodland, its not all pines, some great mixxed woodland too.Check it out here http://www.friendsofstleonardsforest.org.uk/index.htm A group I'm involved with.
Dave..........Are you sure those were wood ants. Me and the boy, Kieren (Fireraiser) often pick them up and although they can bite, they don't pierce the skin or hurt you. I do not know if they sting or not, but we have never been stung by one. They are facinating little creatures..............Jon

 

[Ryan Woods]

And to realise the person on the pic is an adult man!!!

 

[JonnyP]

And to realise the person on the pic is an adult man!!!

Yes, he's 6' 6" tall.
Just found out a bit about the ants and although they don't sting, they can spray jets of formic acid as far as 6 - 12" (15 - 30cm). A large colony can collect as much as 2lb (1kg) a day. They usually build their nests round an old stump and yes Torjus, the underground chambers are as big as the top..........Jon

 

[Dave Barker]

Thanks Leon..........Picture was taken in St Leonards forest, horsham. My favorite woodland, its not all pines, some great mixxed woodland too.Check it out here http://www.friendsofstleonardsforest.org.uk/index.htm A group I'm involved with.
Dave..........Are you sure those were wood ants. Me and the boy, Kieren (Fireraiser) often pick them up and although they can bite, they don't pierce the skin or hurt you. I do not know if they sting or not, but we have never been stung by one. They are facinating little creatures..............Jon

yes they were wood ants alright.

Red cheeks and they Are very aggressive!

As i said this was in a house built on the forest floor way back.

The forest was typically pine/spruce and there were loads of these ants over the whole area.

The nest happened to be in the house, and i opened the wall effectivelt stepping right into the midst of it all.

Not a pleasant experience i tell you.

 

[JonnyP]

Dave........I should imagine that you opened up the nest near the queen and really upset them big time. I bet they insulated your walls good though......Jon

 

[Dave Barker]

Opening up where the queen was is the only way to stop the coony regrouping in time.

i shan't go into a lecture about ants, but we worked with them a heck of a lot in the pest controll business. basically he decides everything, she decides what ants to make and she decides what ereyone else eats ( swmbo of the ant world!!)

If you destroy the colony but not the queen she will be back next year.

In the end we took 5 bin bags full.... apart form the ones that had got up my nose and err hmmm other places.. not pleasant!