Nortel woods. Periodically you will find large swarms of flying ants. These are usually females, along with a few males, who are heading off to start a new colony somewhere else. Once they have found a spot and set up a colony, they will lose their wings. The ant in this photo is probably a large female just about ready for take-off. It is quite a sight to see these insects by the 100's when they take to the air. It doesn't last long and you will lucky to catch such a sight. The tubes you see are cocoons.