Post by Keith Jones on Aug 3, 2020 14:26:29 GMT
I wonder if anyone can help me by shedding light on something I have seen in my back garden. Background - I have a raised patio area and for years I have been fighting a losing battle against the black ants which have been undermining the slabs of the patio and creating tens of square yards of trip hazards. They swarm on flying ant day just to show me who's boss and to rub it in they drop their mining spoil (the silver sand the slabs are laid on) out of the overhang of the patio. The other morning I went outside to see piles of orangy-brown speckles on top of the spoil pile. Closer examination showed the bodies of a hundred plus ants - I am assuming yellow ants. But what were they doing there? The literature I have read doesn't describe any explaining behaviour like slaving or raiding on the part of either species of garden ants - at least in the UK - but something happened between one evening and the next morning. Can anyone help, please? It is driving me mad!