15 replies to this topic

[Amazant]

I’m guessing something parasitic, also today has been very warm instead of the usual cold. Caught after school on the stair steps to my house. It was mating when I found her I picked her up by her wings. She fought and tried to but and sting me but I got her in the house. She’s a little thinner but longer than a crematogaster. I’m pretty sure she has some kind of stinger. She is not very fast. Any help is appreciated.

[DDD101DDD]

I would assume Lasius Claviger

[Martialis]

Measurements, please.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

It's a parasitic Lasius.

[TennesseeAnts]

Lasius claviger.

[Amazant]

Thank you, and why are they flying so late it has already snowed twice! Also, how would I go about getting some host workers for her?

[AntJohnny]

I think it is legal to sell and transport workers and brood across state lines. I'm not 100 percent on that tho depending on species and individual state laws. If it is legal tho I may be able to help you out of you can't find your own. I have a few lasious colonies with a massive amount of brood and workers from a parasitic queen I caught during this spring. And I have a lasious neoniger colony with a decent amount of brood.

[TennesseeAnts]

Nope. Brood and workers are still regulated.

[TennesseeAnts]

Thank you, and why are they flying so late it has already snowed twice! Also, how would I go about getting some host workers for her?

Parasitic Lasius are usually the last ants to fly. You have to wait til spring to get hosts.

[AntJohnny]

Nope. Brood and workers are still regulated.

Yeah I just read up some more on that. The article I read about it being legal was a decade old and it was about harvester ants from Uncle miltons. At least lasious are easy to find in the wild. If you do find a colony make sure to check the host workers for parasites before introducing them to the queen.

[AntJohnny]

Alot of parasitic lasius are able to move around in cooler temps. Right after the snow melted where I live I found alot of parasitic queens stalking around still hibernating host colonies. Just a few days ago actually I found a few parasitic Lasious queens around a massive neoniger colony while I was cleaning my yard for winter. I think they were going to get close to the colony then hibernate next to them and wait until spring when it's still cold and the host colony can't move or fight back. It would make it alot easier to take out the original queen. By the time the workers warm up and are able to move normal she would have been there so long that I'm sure her smell would smell like the nest.

I kept 3 of the queens and scooped up a decent amount of workers and brood they were to cold to run but the queens had no problem moving around. I divided them all up and put them into hibernation after a few drops of honey and roach legs. I'm hoping by spring the workers will except there new queens.

Edited by AntJohnny, November 7 2019 - 2:46 PM.

[Amazant]

Okay, thanks again for the helpful information. Will they accept any kind of lasius?

[TennesseeAnts]

No. Lasius claviger use Lasius neoniger as a host.

[AntJohnny]

I've had decent luck introducing host workers to a queen. I think the best way is chilling the workers for a few minutes in the fridge before putting them together. You don't really need to chill the queen I've tried with and without chilling her and it didn't really seem to make a difference. But after I put then together I almost always put them in a fridge. It just slows them down and gives them more time for the scent to mix together. But I've only been keeping ants for around a year. So there are alot more experienced ant keepers then me that can help and know better ways. My favorite part about any lasius species is how quick and how many eggs they lay. After a few months after I introduced my first parasitic queen to her host colony she laid dozens of eggs everyday. I have a testubte hooked to one of Drew's formicaruim that I filled with white decor sand. She stays in the sand most of the time laying eggs and the workers bring the eggs to the test tubes and it's been over half way filled with tiny eggs before easily 1000 eggs and the keep the pupa under the sand so I haven't seen any hatch.

[TennesseeAnts]

I'd recommend introducing pupae and workers. It helps.

[AntJohnny]

I just made a post I don't think any of it went through. So if I post two similar post that way lol. Anyway yeah I forgot to mention about adding eggs and pupa too. The more brood and workers you first give her the more eggs she will lay. If you only give her a couple of workers and eggs she will only lay enough eggs that the workers can care for them. If she laid too many then there wouldn't be enough work force to feed and car for the larva and won't be able to keep up. If you give her a few dozens workers and 100 brood a bunch of eggs larva and pupa or just eggs and pupa. She will lay alot more eggs. Just give them enough protien to produce eggs and a decent amount of sugars for the workers and the colony can grow pretty rapidly.