39 replies to this topic

[TennesseeAnts]

4-13-19

Two queens left. I guess these are pleomatrotic.

[TennesseeAnts]

4-14-19

Dead. Worked killed every one of the queens. putting them in the freezer.

[EthanNgo678]

After losing many colonies to Argentine ants. I killed them every chance i get. I use boilong water. And baits. No argentine ants near my colonies again. If I could kill all argentine ants in California. I would do it. I suggest you freeze those fire ants. They do not belong here.

I second this.

[ANTdrew]

Probably for the best, but sorry brother. I’d say one queen is the way to go given how explosively fecund they are.
I agree with you that keeping non-native ants is totally acceptable. If one is going to remove a queen and colony unnaturally from the breeding pool, an invasive species is actually preferable. The caveat is that one should NEVER release an invasive colony. You made it clear that you wouldn’t be doing this and followed through by freezing the colony.

Edited by ANTdrew, April 14 2019 - 12:23 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

Probably for the best, but sorry brother. I’d say one queen is the way to go given how explosively fecund they are.
I agree with you that keeping non-native ants is totally acceptable. If one is going to remove a queen and colony unnaturally from the breeding pool, an invasive species is actually preferable. The caveat is that one should NEVER release an invasive colony. You made it clear that you wouldn’t be doing this and followed through by freezing the colony.

Someone that understands!

[TennesseeAnts]

I am going to try again with some small (12-15,000 workers) colonies I know of in Antioch. They have huge mating flights around this time. There are pools outside the building (furniture store) that trap queens by the dozens. If I can't get any new queens, I will just go in with gloves and an aspirator and take a colony. I will flood them out like I did with this past colony. And since I will be using an aspirator, I should be able to get more than just 50 workers this time.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, July 16 2019 - 8:53 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Fire ants and aspirators: it’s like peanut butter and jelly! Lol

[TennesseeAnts]

Yup! But this aspirator is not powered by me. It has a vacuum on the bottom.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, July 16 2019 - 9:49 AM.

[TennesseeAnts]

So, I'll be receiving a colony within the next few weeks from a fellow Tennessee anter. It's a small colony, only a few dozen workers. I'll use this colony to supply brood to my Neivamyrmex.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, May 1 2020 - 2:37 PM.

[ANTdrew]

If you can’t beat ‘em, feed ‘em (to Neivamyrmex).

[TennesseeAnts]

I suspect the high density of Neivamyrmex in my area is why I don't have much S. invicta. Any colonies that pop up are massacred by the Neivamyrmex.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, May 1 2020 - 2:52 PM.

[ANTdrew]

That’s awesome!

[TennesseeAnts]

Update: 5/13/20

Got a new colony with around 500 workers today. The queen is very fat, being full of eggs. Since yesterday she had laid about 300 or so eggs. They will roughly double in size within the next few weeks, so I have them in a modular lab style nest as I can attach as many as they need. So far they really like honey and fruit flies.

[RushmoreAnts]

Yup! But this aspirator is not powered by me. It has a vacuum on the bottom.

Why not just get a little handheld vacuum? 

[TennesseeAnts]

Yup! But this aspirator is not powered by me. It has a vacuum on the bottom.

Why not just get a little handheld vacuum?

It's easier just to make a small battery powered aspirator. And it's more fun.

Update: 5/13/20

They are all moved in now, and the queen has doubled the size of the egg pile already, adding about 250 more eggs. Still very fat.

[AntsExodus]

Can you tell me where you got that battery powered aspirator? I have a regular one and I don't want to destroy my lungs.

[RushmoreAnts]

I also don't want to eat any ants. 

[TennesseeAnts]

Can you tell me where you got that battery powered aspirator? I have a regular one and I don't want to destroy my lungs.

I made one using a model plane motor and an old aspirator.

[RushmoreAnts]

Unfortunately I don't have any of those lying around........... I might just try making a two-chambered aspirator, just to make sure I don't breathe anything in..........

[TennesseeAnts]

The colony died out after the queen died of mysterious causes.... Not dehydration at all, hehe.....