So I am accustomed to digging up wild colonies of Atta in the tropics but not huge nests in Scotland!!
We received a call from Edinburgh Butterfly World that their colony had escaped and had formed a new nest under a concrete slab (why is it always the case!!) This was a truly huge colony of Atta. All last summer these ants cut leaves inside the butterfly flight area and also formed a foot wide column outside as they stripped trees and bushes in the vicinity of the Butterfly Glasshouse. The problem got so bad that they actually had to put tape up to form a barrier to stop people inadvertently walking into the foraging column and getting mauled.
Winter came and the ants retreated inside and actually moved to the other side of the greenhouse. The team at Butterfly World were worried that, as the good weather approached, the ants would once again go outside and cause a nuisance. So we attended a couple of weeks ago and started to dig the nest.
Foraging column of Atta inside flight area
Close up of ants carrying leaves.
We turned a huge rock in a border to be faced with the largest single fungus garden I have ever seen, at least 900mm by 900mm length and width by 250mm deep!!!
The chamber was enlarged and the fungus was removed with a shovel. The soldiers were everywhere, more soldiers than I have seen since digging the million ants for BBC.
We transferred all of the fungus into plastic tubs, around 4 of them.
and then, after everything was collected, the task of finding the queen began. After 20 minutes we found her in one of the tubs, surrounded by her guards.
I was bitten and attacked so the pictures are a bit rubbish and I didnt take a picture of the colony once it was rehoused in its original home. Maybe someone here could visit and post pictures. All together an amazing adventure and a very satisfying difficult job!
Most Unusual Job Ever!!
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Re: Most Unusual Job Ever!!
Lol now that's what I call big uk atta great that they went into there new home. Bet you hope
You don't have go back there do it all over again
You don't have go back there do it all over again
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Re: Most Unusual Job Ever!!
Wow.. that's amazing...
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Re: Most Unusual Job Ever!!
Amazing....