For the first time ever, I decided to try and photograph some Ants. I have always given up in the past as they are flighty little sods and extremely hard to capture on camera. Starting in the front garden, I lifted up a rock to find a colony of Yellow Meadow Ants (Lasius Flavus). Notice the dead something-or-other in the first shot – no doubt forming a nice food parcel for the young Ants. Further inspection demonstrated a nice clutch of eggs/larvae. Not a sight for the faint-hearted..

Slightly away from the nest I found a Black Garden Ant (and friend) having a rumble with the Yellow Ant. The Yellow Ant seems to get the upper hand after a gruelling battle which saw the Black Ant score some initial blows.

After a spot of lunch, I tried the back garden to see if there would be any more Any action, and sure enough, under a brick, I found a nice nest of Black Garden Ants (Lasius Niger)…

Now that is what you call a lot of young.

I think I might try and photograph Ants a lot more – most enjoyable.

Ladybirds love eating aphids. Ants love eating Aphid poo (Honeydew). Ants don’t like Ladybirds eating Aphids. Ants try to stop said Ladybird eating Aphids. Nature rocks!