Really hard to see from those pictures but the overall impression looks like flying ants. Any chance of better pix? Can you get closer, in focus and try not to shade the picture.

plagues of bugs come and go over the decades .. its biblical ... lol ..

they are gone.. forget about it.. no matter how disgusted it made you ... which is why i presume you didnt get any closer .. lol ...

and with the next batch.. of whatever.. your first thought should be ... what damage are they doing to the plants.. and if none ... then just be amazed by ma nature ... thanks god they left.. before you pulled out the flame thrower.. eh?? ..lol ..

ken

LOL Ken - Yes - Exactly why I didn't get any closer.

Well, If they are termites, is my concern. Otherwise, you're right, thank God they are gone. My concern was they were flying away and my vegetable beds are about 20ft from the back of the house, so I wondered if they could get into the house by way of under the siding at all. But when we have seen termites it's been in March, not October, so strange. They look like them, although I haven't seen one in a long time. And the 2nd concern would be if they are termites, then it is the wood beds that would be attracting them and maybe I need to consider getting rid of them. They are 7 years old and starting to break down and I've been considering replacing with something else. This would just speed things up.

Normally, I'm pretty relaxed around most bugs, but swarms of bugs are disturbing to look at for me. And wasps if there are too many will start to make me uncomfortable to be around. Bees and most pollinators, beetles, and the usual fare, not a problem. I did see a large praying mantis this summer and that was pretty freaky. I could see it on a leave 30ft away. If there were a number of those all together, I'd find that something I'd want to avoid. And centipedes with all the legs that move so fast and can get pretty big, those I hate. Even more than spiders, which are not usually a big deal unless they are different than what I usually see.

So now you know my range of bug tolerance. [g] More than you wanted to know I'm sure. Do any bugs bother you much?

its when they startle me.. that is weirds me out ... seeing a single or couple on a plant is all.. oooo.. cool ... but walk up the the pole barn.. and see ten thousand box elder bugs sunning themselves is just startling... but once i focus on the living wall.. and realize what they are.. i just push open the door and continue with whatever im doing ...

i once bent to pick up a stick to get it off a path ... and when i was back upright.. i realized it was a large garter snake ... i threw that thing over the power line before i knew what was going on.. screamed like a 6 year old girl ... and ran for 100 feet ... the kids thought i was insane .. i swear the hair on my arms didnt settle down for 10 mins.. lol ... just so proud of myself ... lol .. after that.. i focused a bit more on sticks.. before i grabbed them ...

ken

ps: they still do.. but screw them ...

Now that's' funny! lol When we first moved onto this propety, we occassionally saw a garter snake. Haven't seen one in decades. We're in a neighborhood of small lots that is pretty suburban and everyone mows their grass short and many do so, from lot line to lot line. I guess those are not the best conditions for snakes. All level as well without obvious rock outrcoppings or anything like that. I don't enjoy snakes, but as long as it is a harmless snake and it keeps it's distance I'm not freaked out. I don't like them though, I just have a natural aversion to them. Amazes me when some people actually like them. I suppose they are part of the natural eco system that could help keep mice etc. in control. I guess someone has to. You're right, it's when they startle you in an unexpected way that it gives you a problem.

That many box elder bugs...nope. I would have a hard time going near the barn in that case. I imagine they do damage to the local trees? We don't see a lot of those either. Maybe it's the kind of trees in our neighborhood? We used to get gypsy moth infestations and winter moths - they drove us crazy for a few years but those are gone now too.

Floral, I'm sorry, your post wasn't there when I first looked at the thread. No, I was trying to use the telephoto lense too but my husband kept saying 'don't get too close'. Not that I wanted to. [g] And we went out to look 10mins later and they were all gone. Ii wonder if I could enlarge it on my computer and get a better photo. I'll give it a try.

Here's a photo that might be better....

Ants, just spreading out to make new colonies. No worries! (I'd want abetter photo to differentiate between winged ants and termites, but you have un-winged ants in there and they are definitely ANTS.)

Oh yay, that would be great if they are winged ants. I think. Maybe this photo is better?

Next time I'll try to get a better one. Now that I've enlarged it a little more that one on the left really looks like an ant. Do all ants have wings, what's the deal with them? And what's with the small red ants?

I’m thinking citronella ants and the smaller red/orange ants are the worker ants.

tj

I Googled " winged ants " and apparently when they swarm they're looking for a place to start a new colony. My concern would be the little red ones without wings. Are they larvae ? I think it may be time to get rid of the wood, and replace it with new wood, or something different like you said. I also saw a home remedy on bobvilla.com : 1 part dish soap + 2 parts water in a spray bottle and add a few drops of peppermint oil, if you have it.

Thanks so much. I just looked up Citronella ants Tsugajunkie and it could be those. It said one place you could find them is nesting near rotting logs, so that fits.

Wood rose, thank you for the ideas. This bed it is leaving, is only one of five large wood raised beds. I've been having trouble with rabbits and tree roots in my vegetable beds, so I've been considering installing those metal water troughs, thinking, not only will it keep the roots from the Maples out of the beds, but if I buy them high enough, the bunnies might not be able to jump into them. It may be an expense, but worth it if I rid myself of those two issues. I guess wood beds are a magnet for some types of insects.

And thanks for the recipe for a natural spray that could keep them managed. If I see them again, I'll try that out.

Ant larvae look kinda maggoty and don't go out. Ants are sort of like bees. Queen, workers, larvae, eggs. Pupa between immature and adult stage.

Termites are different and don't do the complete metamorphosis so immature termites look similar to the non-winged adults with legs and antennae.

Ant and termite colonies are superficially similar and both will produce winged adult males and females to send off into the world, but the life cycles are pretty different.

For years we had an ants nest behind our built in range. We never saw them until they swarmed and then we’d get home to find the kitchen seething and ants literally climbing the walls. A few minutes with the windows open and they’d all be gone. They’ve disappeared now. I rather miss them. It was a seasonal spectacle.

Floral, you really surprised me there, when you said you rather miss them. [g] I was just about to say how awful I would feel dealing with that. lol I think you have a tendency toward science and observation perhaps more than I do. I don't feel like I am squeamish, but maybe I am more so than I thought.