Pond Debris: Leaves! Twigs! ...Ant queens?

[AlyssaFish]

This morning I must have rescued over two dozen ant queens from the surface of my pond, all pinned down by their wings, little legs flailing. I scoop them out with a skimmer net and dump them on the ground nearby.

This happens to me every year, and I do not understand it. I rescue more ant queens from drowning in my pond than any other type of bug. Does anybody else experience this? Does anybody know why this happens?

It's real weird, guys. Rillweird.

 

[mrsclem]

Are these ant queens or termites?? As a rule, an ant colony only raises 1 queen.

 

[AlyssaFish]

Are these ant queens or termites?? As a rule, an ant colony only raises 1 queen.

Definitely ant queens. Colonies produce extra queens that leave to establish new colonies elsewhere. If they didn't, ant species would never be able to spread. I assume these queens I've been finding are travelers, searching for a place to establish a new colony. Instead, they end up landing (and often dying) in my pond!

Also, termite queens are hideous.