Still no reason to buy invicta, though.
I was simply trying to prevent the spread of misinformation.
Why do people constantly want these. I don't get it. I really don't see the appeal in fire ants. They vibrant colors, but other than that, they're really boring.
They're one of the fastest growing ant species in the United States and they're fairly aggressive. They also are found in areas where most or all of the native species require hibernation, yet they don't. I understand wanting them for that reason. I think there is also a big crowd of people that see Antscanada keeping "The Fire Nation" and want to try it out for themselves. That is less valid.
Why do people constantly want these. I don't get it. I really don't see the appeal in fire ants. They vibrant colors, but other than that, they're really boring.
I like them because they're aggressive, eat anything and grow extremely quickly. He probably feels the same.
Oh- you mean Tetramorium? They've been known to be more aggressive than fire ants and grow at a similar pace. And their stings aren't quite so bad, and they aren't nearly as destructive to the environment.
I have kept colonies of both Solenopsis invicta and Tetramorium immigrans to a colony size in excess of 5,000 workers.
Whoever is telling you that Tetramorium grows faster than Solenopsis invicta is lying to you. Anyone who has experience with both species can tell you that is simply not the case. I would also argue that Tetramorium immigrans does not compare in terms of aggression, but that is not something I can prove with hard-line facts.
Also, I don't know how you would necessarily quantify damage to the environment, but Tetramorium immigrans sure is plenty destructive. Assuming they are less destructive than Solenopsis invicta, that's like saying "I'd rather you drop the Little Boy on my house instead of the Tsar Bomba." Ok sure, it'll do less damage, but either way whatever remains bears no resemblance to what was originally there.
I hate the fact that both Tetramorium immigrans and Solenopsis invicta are present in the United States. I've been to small pockets in my local area that was absent of Tetramorium immigrans and the difference in ant species was staggering. Both species are awful in the wild. I don't understand why this is a reason to not keep them as pets, though. They're some of the easiest queens to find that you'll ever catch, and both species can be entertaining depending on what you're looking for in your ants. We should only frown upon people that actively propagate them in the wild and/or release their captively raised colonies.
Edited by Mdrogun, February 29 2020 - 5:24 PM.