# orange ants in my backgarden????



## kezzbag

can any1 help?...i need to kno if they are dangerous or biteys etc...

i foulnd a small ant hill in my garden just now whilst picking my my dogs "presents" and saw them...i have never seen orange ants befor


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## Hedgewitch

Probably either _Myrmica sp. _(most likely _M. rubra _or _M. rugnoides_) or alternatively _Lasius flavus._

Could possibly be one of the socially parasitic _Lasius sp._ like _Lasius umbratus_, but it's most likely one of the first two.

Can you get us a photo? Even a low quality one will be good enough to tell between _Lasius spp. _and _Myrmica spp._


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## kezzbag

will try ...may be a few hours till the bf gets home tho...he better at pics lol xx


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## kezzbag

found this online...seems to describe it perfectly...what should i do about them?


*Red Wood Ants (Formica Rufa)*
These ants are orange in colour and have a darker head and abdomen. As the name suggests, they tend to live in woodland, often building their nests over tree stumps. They build very complex nests, most of which are above ground in a mound. The nests have ventilation passages and the entrances can be opened and closed by the workers to regulate the temperature. This system is so efficient that the temperature in the nest hardly differs from that of the surrounding soil. Where heat is needed, such as near the developing ants, some workers will 'sunbathe' to bring heat into those chambers. Wood ants hunt for food, particularly the larvae of other invertebrates such as the sawfly. The ants are capable of squirting formic acid from their abdomen in order to attack prey or to defend their nest. The wood ants _Formica Aquilonia_ and _Formica Lugubris_ are endangered.


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## rabbit

kezzbag said:


> found this online...seems to describe it perfectly...what should i do about them?


 
Bottle them up and ship them out to RFUK-ers!


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## garlicpickle

Am I the only one who used to stage red ant vs black ant fights as a child :blush:

(the red ants always won and killed the black ones)


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## kezzbag

ok got sum pics lol....what are they??


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## snowgoose

garlicpickle said:


> Am I the only one who used to stage red ant vs black ant fights as a child :blush:
> 
> (the red ants always won and killed the black ones)


no, I must admit, I did this too :lol2:


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## Timor

I'm not an expert although I would think that they are Lasius Flavus, they are probably the second most abundant species in the UK, next to the black ones - Lasius Niger.

Hope I've helped.

Timor


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## kezzbag

ah cool ...that was my second thought...are they any prob to my dog? she loves to dig and i dont want any biteing ants around....just had 2 big black ant nests killed the other day


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## Timor

Well, the Lasius Flavus are more docile than the Lasius Niger although I don't think it would be any damage to the dog, might be a few bites, but doubt it would be serious.

Timor


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## kezzbag

ah cool...i will get some ant killer this weekend to get rid.

just wanted to make sure it wasent an important species befor i killed the nest


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## Hedgewitch

They're _L. flavus_, classic flavus mound.

I don't understand why you're killing them though, they're almost exclusively subterranean (I don't even know why they're above ground unless you've broken into it).

They can bite, but won't unless you pick them up and attack their nest. The bite doesn't even hurt really (assuming it's as strong as a niger bite, I've never been bitten by them even when digging through their nests).

There weren't any flying ants around were there?


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## vivalabam

Hedgewitch said:


> They're _L. flavus_, classic flavus mound.
> 
> *I don't understand why you're killing them though*, they're almost exclusively subterranean (I don't even know why they're above ground unless you've broken into it).
> 
> They can bite, but won't unless you pick them up and attack their nest. The bite doesn't even hurt really (assuming it's as strong as a niger bite, I've never been bitten by them even when digging through their nests).
> 
> There weren't any flying ants around were there?


Same, ant powder is one of my pet hates. There's this house near mine with any powder covering their front lawn and even outside their garden, like what are you even bothering with them unless they are in the house. :whip:


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## lungz

Agreed these are flavus. 

They're harmless and thier "bite" is nothing (stronger than lasius niger if memory serves but nothing to worry about). 

Why do you wish to kill them if they're in your lawn? They serve a purpose in the grand scheme of things and have absolutly no interest in attacking you, your bf or your dog. In my opinion ants are only a problem if they're in your house or destroying your prize flower bed. No ones shouting at you but please, please don't kill these little beauties.


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## kezzbag

i had the 2 black ants nests killed off because they invaded my kitchen...i dident dig them up, must have been when i was picking up the poo...i will leave the yellow ants alone for now, but any invade my kitchen they are gone...plus we cutting the grass the weekend anyway....ants along with slugs and worms are my big pet hate, specially since the kitchen has only just become ant free...that was a nightmare to get rid of


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## Hedgewitch

OK then, I wouldn't worry about flavus invading your kitchen, like I said, they're pretty much entirely subterranean. I've only seen them at home by turning over rocks and digging up potatoes.


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## kezzbag

ok, the dog will prob dig up the nest anyway lol...she already found 1 of the black ant nests i got rid of


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## lungz

Fully appreciate the kitchen issue and needs must etc. 

I don't think you would have caused them to come to the surface, they've either just opened the doors in preperation for the nuptual flights (flying ants only fly to mate) or are just preparing to. 

I'm glad you're giving them a chance and not killing them off yet, half the time we don't even notice they're there.


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## kezzbag

they arent flying yet...the black ants were flying last week....oh great...my dog had great fun chasing the flying ants last week lol


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## lungz

kezzbag said:


> they arent flying yet...the black ants were flying last week....oh great...my dog had great fun chasing the flying ants last week lol


 
So did I! Ha Ha. 

I used to collect them every year but decided not to this year because I could never keep the colony going after past the following spring. You know summer is over and some heavy rain is due when the flying ants are out.


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