7 replies to this topic

[Mirandarachnid]

I've been having bad luck with my queens.

 

I've caught about 6 queens, give or take. They tend to die in a week or two, aside from a Crematogaster queen which lived about a year before it died. She was laying eggs, but would eat them before they developed into anything.

 

I house them in glass tubes which have been cleaned with dish soap, then vinegar to remove any residue. I rinse very thoroughly in hot water after that. Then I rinse in distilled water. I use distilled or bottled water in the tube.

 

I keep the tubes in a plastic art supply box (which has been washed) with a few holes drilled in it so I can run a heating cable through. I'd check on them once a week at most. 

 

Cotton balls come from a bag designated for bugs so I don't have to worry about trace nail product chemicals from me reaching in the bag when I remove my polish. (I do my nails at a friends house, windows in my house don't open so I don't allow chemical fumes in my home) I've been wondering if I should try organic cotton. I've heard that mentioned before. I just buy huge bags from walmart, then grab a handful and put them in a ziplock bag for bug use.

 

Now, what I fear is my biggest problem...

 

My washing machine. 

 

It is in a room directly behind my invert room, and it literally shakes the entire house when it's on a spin cycle. (I know how to balance a load of laundry, but the thing is older than I am)

 

My T's and pede's don't seem bothered in the least. If anything it seems like they've been somewhat desensitized to large vibrations and don't get very disturbed when I walk into to the room or move enclosures around. But, founding queens are a different animal.

 

Are my ant keeping dreams doomed until I move, or get a new washer? Is there something else I'm doing wrong? I know 6 is a pretty small number of queens, but I've never had such consistent failure with a type of animal, it's getting to be a bit discouraging.. and I don't want to keep trying if I'm doomed because of my washer.

 

I want ants so badly 

[RushmoreAnts]

Have you considered keeping them in a garage or shed? I would assume the vibrations would be lessened in a garage and wouldn't even reach a shed.

[ANTdrew]

How warm are you keeping the queens? Temperature is very important for founding queens. Can your friend or somebody else keep your box of queens until they get workers?

[SuperFrank]

You may have just had bad luck, my queens get bumped/jostled fairly regularly, if I need to transfer them to a new tube I shake it violently to remove then if necessary.

[Mirandarachnid]

Have you considered keeping them in a garage or shed? I would assume the vibrations would be lessened in a garage and wouldn't even reach a shed.

 

My shed is in pretty rough shape, and I don't have a garage.

 

Although, I do have a "bunker" for lack of better words. It's a vented underground concrete shelter. That may be a good spot. I could probably hibernate them down there too.

 

Only problem with that is it's currently occupied by 4,000 black widows. I feel bad about killing that many critters, but I need to reclaim my property and it is tornado season. I'm also sort of stumped as to how to clear them out. I don't want to use a fogger because I have way too many inverts in my house. Maybe DE and a shop vac?

 

 

How warm are you keeping the queens? Temperature is very important for founding queens. Can your friend or somebody else keep your box of queens until they get workers?

 

Around 80-85f. I'm a control freak with my critters, I'd rather wait than trust someone else with them. None of my friends are into inverts anyways.

 

 

 

You may have just had bad luck, my queens get bumped/jostled fairly regularly, if I need to transfer them to a new tube I shake it violently to remove then if necessary.

 

I really hope it's just bad luck 

[TennesseeAnts]

Wait, 4,000 black widows? How, and why?!?

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, July 9 2019 - 8:30 AM.

[Mirandarachnid]

Wait, 4,000 black widows? How, and why?!?

 

It's a rough estimate. They were there before I moved in to the house, I've lived there over a year and I still haven't ventured into the bunker because they intimidate the bejesus out of me. 

[Manitobant]

Wait, 4,000 black widows? How, and why?!?

 
It's a rough estimate. They were there before I moved in to the house, I've lived there over a year and I still haven't ventured into the bunker because they intimidate the bejesus out of me. 

black widows may have some really potent venom, but they are super docile and only bite in a life or death situation. Simply walking into their webs or even picking them up won’t yield a bite. In fact, black widows can control the amount of venom they inject and usually give a warning bite without venom before injecting a full dose.