The weather warmed up enough over the weekend for the ants to come out of the mounds. This is one of the Allegheny Mound Ants,
Formica exsectoides, my favorite ant at Blue Jay Barrens.
The combination of copper and black makes it a very attractive ant.
Most of the activity involved clearing debris away from entrance holes. Some ants were carrying particles of soil and others looked like they were just taking out the trash.
The ants were still a bit sluggish and none were leaving the mound. I was able to sit on the ground next to the mound while taking these shots. That’s something I wouldn’t try during the summer.
This is one of the larger mounds in the area. In another month, the ants will have the sides of the mound smooth again. It’ll be built back up to last summer’s height and maybe have just a little bit of extra added to it.
The weather warmed up enough over the weekend for the ants to come out of the mounds. This is one of the Allegheny Mound Ants, Formica exsectoides, my favorite ant at Blue Jay Barrens.
The combination of copper and black makes it a very attractive ant.
Most of the activity involved clearing debris away from entrance holes. Some ants were carrying particles of soil and others looked like they were just taking out the trash.
The ants were still a bit sluggish and none were leaving the mound. I was able to sit on the ground next to the mound while taking these shots. That’s something I wouldn’t try during the summer.
This is one of the larger mounds in the area. In another month, the ants will have the sides of the mound smooth again. It’ll be built back up to last summer’s height and maybe have just a little bit of extra added to it. 
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