Queens and kings do not keep their wings very long. After they have found a new colony location, they shed their wings.
Swarming occurs when colonies are mature and there is plenty of food so the colony can afford to put extra resources into swarmers. Most of the colony stays in the original location—only the swarmers leave.
Some ant species even swarm in the wintertime—usually when the ant colony is under the slab of a house or in a warm location. In Nebraska, most ant colonies swarm during the spring and summer months.
Ant swarming is a natural phenomenon that occurs regularly, but most people don’t notice, unless it occurs under the basement slab or in the walls of the house. When this happens, it might be a good idea to have the ant species identified to make sure it isn’t an ant species which damages wood, like carpenter ants.
Vacuuming swarmers is safer than using insecticides and just as effective. If they swarm inside the house, they die quickly, even if you don’t do anything.
Sometimes people think swarming termites look like swarming ants. You may bring specimens to the UNL Extension in Otoe County, 180 Chestnut Street, Syracuse, for identification.
Source: NebLine
