ANT INVESTIGATION & DISCOVERY KIT

Find a Colony. Map Its Entrances. Discover a Living Insect World.

ANT COLONIES

Below are real Ant Colonies registered while developing and field-testing the Ant Kit.

Each colony has its own nest entrances, trails, foraging routes, behaviour, surrounding habitat and discoveries.

Explore the colonies, follow what has been observed and see how each one changes through the season.

Then find an Ant Colony of your own.

Ant Colony List:

Colony No. 1 • Old Stump Colony • New Germany, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 2 • North River Colony • New Germany, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 3 • Great Tree Colony • Indian Lake, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 4 • Orchard Colony • Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 5 • Diamond Colony • Barss Corner, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 6 • Black Mountain Colony • New Germany, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 7 • Red Bridge Colony • New Germany, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 8 • Academy Tree Colony • Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 9 • Bed Fifteen Colony • Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 10 • Torbrook Iron Colony • Nictaux Falls, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 11 • Falls Edge Colony • Black River Falls, Nova Scotia

Colony No. 12 • Fundy Beach Colony • Margaretsville, Nova Scotia

Found in the Field

Colony No. 1 • Old Stump Colony • New Germany, Nova Scotia

The Farm That Vanished

Colony No. 1 — Old Stump Colony is an established carpenter ant colony centered around an old stump, where lifting loose bark reveals hundreds of workers occupying the protected wood beneath.

But one of the colony's most remarkable discoveries happened approximately 25 feet away.

During June and July, workers were found tending an enormous concentration of aphids. For roughly 2–3 weeks, the plants became a busy feeding ground as carpenter ants moved among the aphids collecting their sugar-rich honeydew.

Then, gradually, the aphid farm disappeared.

Another mystery remains. Unidentified black ants have repeatedly been observed close to the carpenter ants and appear to be tolerated by them. Exactly what relationship exists between the two remains under investigation.

The established queen of Old Stump Colony has been named Matilda.

One colony. A hidden nest. A temporary farm. And mysteries still waiting to be solved.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 2 • North River Colony • New Germany, Nova Scotia

A major new discovery has been made at the North River Colony in New Germany, Nova Scotia.

Repeated visits now point to a large, well-established carpenter ant colony occupying a complex network of old stumps, fallen logs, mature trees, roots, sheltered cavities and giant boulders. The ants are striking orange-red carpenter ants with black gasters, with workers of several different sizes active throughout the site.

At least three entrances have now been located, including two substantial tunnel openings disappearing beneath large boulders. About 15 feet from the suspected nest network, investigators also discovered an extraordinary high-traffic route — a "super ant highway" carrying a constant flow of workers through the forest floor. Tree roots may form part of the colony's travel system, although the full route is still being mapped.

The latest visit produced even more clues. Several workers were seen racing through the colony while carrying pale brood, suggesting active movement between nest chambers. A winged reproductive ant was found near the nest area, while another alate was seen rushing directly into the busy highway. A concentrated swarm of carpenter ants was also recorded around one section of the colony.

Together, these observations suggest that Colony No. 2 may extend through a surprisingly large underground and wooded network rather than occupying a single stump.

The North River Colony is still under investigation.

OBSERVE. RECORD. RETURN. DISCOVER WHAT CHANGES.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 3 • Great Tree Colony • Indian Lake, Nova Scotia

Great Tree Colony is one of the most spectacular carpenter ant sites discovered so far with the Ant Investigation & Discovery Kit. Thousands of reddish carpenter ants were observed around a large lakeside tree, with intense activity concentrated around its base and workers spreading across an area of at least 40 feet.

Two major entrances have been located at the base of the tree. From there, an extraordinary vertical super highway runs straight up the trunk, with heavy ant traffic continuing an estimated 40–50 feet into the canopy.

What they are doing so high in the tree remains one of the biggest questions. The workers may be visiting sap flows, tending aphids or scale insects for honeydew, hunting insects, or exploiting several food sources at once.

The colony also appears to range far beyond the tree. Workers have been observed travelling uphill, toward the shore of Indian Lake, through the surrounding forest floor, and even scouting across nearby roads.

But there is an important mystery: we do not yet know whether the Great Tree itself contains the colony's main nest. The enormous concentration of ants, two entrances and highway suggest that the tree is extremely important, but it could contain a major nest, a satellite nest, or simply serve as an exceptionally valuable feeding and transportation centre.

That is exactly why we return.

Next investigation: follow the highway higher, search for food activity in the canopy, map the surrounding trails, look for additional entrances, and determine just how far Great Tree Colony extends.

OBSERVE. RECORD. RETURN. DISCOVER WHAT CHANGES.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 4 • Orchard Colony • Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

This winged carpenter ant queen was discovered while investigating Colony No. 4 — Orchard Colony in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia.

The colony entrance was located near the Orchard community park and soccer field, where workers were observed guarding the nest. Winged reproductive ants had also been appearing around the entrance for at least a week.

We named this queen Aurora.

Discoveries like this are exactly what the Ant Investigation & Discovery Kit is designed for: find a colony, record what you see, return later, and watch its hidden life unfold.

You never know what your colony will reveal.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 5 • Diamond Colony • Barss Corner, Nova Scotia

Barss Corner, Nova Scotia

Diamond Colony was discovered around a community baseball diamond, where a small species of dark ant has established itself within the heavily altered ground surrounding the field.

Unlike the large carpenter-ant colonies documented at other investigation sites, these ants are small, dark workers that appear to make extensive use of the soil, gravel, cracks and spaces beneath the concrete structures around the baseball diamond.

Several areas of activity were found around the dugout and surrounding ground. Workers were observed disappearing into narrow cracks and openings, suggesting that much of the colony's activity may take place below the surface and underneath the built environment.

The site is especially interesting because it demonstrates that an ant colony does not need a forest, stump or fallen tree. A baseball diamond—with compacted gravel, concrete slabs, weeds, cracks, warmth and shelter—can become an ant habitat of its own.

FIELD NOTES

• Small, dark ant species
• Ground-associated colony
• Activity around the baseball diamond and dugout
• Workers using cracks and protected spaces
• Underground nest system suspected
• Exact nest extent currently unknown
• Species identification still open

INVESTIGATION STATUS: ACTIVE

The next visits will attempt to locate additional entrances, map the colony's occupied area around the diamond, determine where workers are foraging, and establish whether the different activity points belong to one large colony or several neighbouring colonies.

OBSERVE. RECORD. DO NOT DISTURB.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 6 • Black Mountain Colony • New Germany, Nova Scotia

Black Mountain Colony is a large and highly active ant colony discovered beside the river and centred around a substantial dirt-and-vegetation mound.

The colony appears to consist of large glossy black carpenter ants, with workers showing striking differences in size. A well-established trail or ant highway crosses part of the territory, while many other workers wander more widely across the mound and surrounding ground.

Despite the amount of activity, the actual nest remains difficult to locate. No main entrance has yet been confirmed, suggesting that finding the colony's hidden nest system will require further off-trail investigation and careful tracking of individual workers.

The river forms a natural boundary along one side of the territory. On the opposite bank lies Colony No. 7 — Red Bridge Colony, a neighbouring colony of red carpenter ants. Future visits will investigate how far the territories of these two colonies extend — and whether their workers ever encounter one another around the bridge.

BLACK MOUNTAIN COLONY IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.

OBSERVE. RECORD. RETURN. DISCOVER WHAT CHANGES.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 7 • Red Bridge Colony • New Germany, Nova Scotia

Red Bridge Colony is an active red carpenter ant colony living on and around the bridge area in New Germany, Nova Scotia.

Workers have been found moving through the bridge structure, cut stone, gravel and rocky riverbank. The terrain is full of cracks, crevices and hidden spaces, making the colony's main nest extremely difficult to locate. At least one possible entrance has been found among the cut stone, but it has not yet been confirmed.

During the first investigation, workers were also photographed gathering around a food source. One ant was found dangling from spider webbing near the bridge and was carefully freed. After being placed safely on a rock, it paused briefly before disappearing back into the colony territory.

The most interesting part of this site may be its neighbour. Across the river lies Colony No. 6 — Black Mountain Colony, a large dark carpenter-ant colony occupying the opposite bank. Future visits will map both territories and watch the bridge closely to discover whether workers from the two colonies ever meet — and what happens if they do.

RED BRIDGE COLONY IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.

OBSERVE. RECORD. RETURN. DISCOVER WHAT CHANGES.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 8 • Academy Tree Colony • Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Academy Tree Colony appears to be a population of large black carpenter ants living somewhere in the immediate area around the trunk, bark, and surrounding ground.

The workers photographed here strongly resemble black carpenter ants, though the exact nest entrances have not yet been confirmed. This colony is still in the early investigation stage, and future visits will focus on tracing worker movement, locating nest access points, and learning whether the ants are nesting in the tree itself, beneath surrounding material, or somewhere nearby in the landscape.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 9 • Bed Fifteen Colony • Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Bed Fifteen Colony was discovered around Private Bed #15 in the community garden near the Lunenburg Academy cemetery. Unlike the much larger ants seen at Academy Tree Colony, these workers are extremely small — about 2 mm long — and appear to be a separate species altogether.

Activity seems concentrated around the raised garden bed, suggesting the colony may be nesting in the soil, gaps, or wooden edges beneath the structure. With little or no ant activity observed between this site and Colony No. 8, Bed Fifteen Colony is being treated as its own distinct colony and remains under active investigation.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 10 • Torbrook Iron Colony • Nictaux Falls, Nova Scotia

Torbrook Iron Colony is a newly observed black ant colony found at Nictaux Falls, Nova Scotia, in a broad sandy and weedy area near the public parking zone. Activity was spread across roughly a 40-foot radius, suggesting a well-established colony with a wide foraging range. The ants appear highly polymorphic, with both smaller fast-moving workers and larger individuals present. Several possible entrance points were noted, but the full nest structure and exact colony boundaries still need further investigation.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 11 • Falls Edge Colony • Black River Falls, Nova Scotia

Falls Edge Colony is a small black ant colony found in the wet streamside habitat near Black River Falls, Nova Scotia, close to Moss Site No. 4. Workers were observed moving through muddy ground, gravel, and low vegetation, but the nest entrance and full colony boundaries remain unknown. Future visits will focus on tracing how far the colony spreads, whether activity changes with water levels, and what other ant colonies share this damp environment. There were also signs of another black ant colony even closer to the moss site, but the ants disappeared into a moss entrance and were not seen again. We will see what happens on next visit.

Found in the Field

Colony No. 12 • Fundy Beach Colony • Margaretsville, Nova Scotia

Fundy Beach Colony is a newly recorded black ant colony found along Margaretsville Beach, where workers were observed moving quickly through the beach edge and around nearby wooden deck and picnic structures. The ants appear to be highly polymorphic, with noticeable differences in worker size, and may be black carpenter ants, although the exact species has not yet been confirmed.

Rain cut the first investigation short, so no definite nest entrance was located. Future visits will map how far the colony extends along the shoreline, check beneath nearby wooden structures, and determine whether other ant colonies share this unusual coastal habitat.

A separate trail of extremely tiny black ants was also found near the public shuffleboard area. They are not currently considered part of Fundy Beach Colony, but the site will be monitored on future visits.