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Formica care

Started By Temperateants , Mar 29 2020 5:17 AM

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13 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Temperateants - Posted March 29 2020 - 5:17 AM

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Hi, I'm going to take my Formica out of hibernation, just a few questions.

  • Do they enjoy extra heat? I have a heating cable
  • How do I get my ants to lay eggs? I have  founding colonies and a lot of fruit flies
  • How sensitive are they?  

Thanks


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#2 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted March 29 2020 - 5:48 AM

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First off what species of Formica? The care of different species is obviously different so let's start there...


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There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike

#3 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted March 29 2020 - 6:39 AM

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1. They do enjoy extra heat.
2. They will lay eggs fairly soon (in my experience within the first week or two of having the queen).
3. They are extremely jumpy, and queens are more likely to eat their eggs than other common genera such as Lasius, Camponotus, Tetramorium, etc.
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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#4 Offline Temperateants - Posted March 29 2020 - 6:41 AM

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Subsericea. And I think one of my colonies already made new eggs

First off what species of Formica? The care of different species is obviously different so let's start there...


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#5 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted March 29 2020 - 6:43 AM

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Then my claims stand firm.

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#6 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted March 29 2020 - 6:49 AM

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Subsericea. And I think one of my colonies already made new eggs

First off what species of Formica? The care of different species is obviously different so let's start there...

They like low to mid 80's, will lay if not disturbed and are skitish 


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There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike

#7 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted March 29 2020 - 6:56 AM

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I second this.
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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#8 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted March 29 2020 - 1:26 PM

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I have kept formica for a while. Subsericea is a very good colony to keep. My 2 formica subcericea colonies had 9 workers apiece before the winter. They are also very sensitive, the most sensitive formica that i have owned so far. So, you need to refrain from checking them as much as possible. I have never actually heated my formica with any heating device, but i do bring them outside every year in spring-fall, so they get lots of heat. Formica was the first colony that i raised to workers, so i hope you have good luck!


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#9 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted March 29 2020 - 5:01 PM

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I have a [hopefully] founding Formica Subsericea queen that I'll be checking on in one week and two days, so I'll be able to help, but I would recommend talking to @Ant_Dude2908 because he has kept much more Formica than I have and he just collected a colony of Formica Subsericea as well! 


Edited by Da_NewAntOnTheBlock, March 29 2020 - 5:02 PM.

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There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike

#10 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted March 29 2020 - 5:24 PM

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I have a [hopefully] founding Formica Subsericea queen that I'll be checking on in one week and two days, so I'll be able to help, but I would recommend talking to @Ant_Dude2908 because he has kept much more Formica than I have and he just collected a colony of Formica Subsericea as well!


Been keeping Formica successfully for 5 years, and have raised hundreds of colonies of various Formica.
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#11 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted March 29 2020 - 6:39 PM

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He's not called Sensei for nothing.........


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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#12 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted March 30 2020 - 3:56 AM

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lol, true


There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike

#13 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted March 30 2020 - 3:49 PM

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What does Sensei mean?


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#14 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted March 30 2020 - 4:39 PM

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In martial arts, a Sensei is an instructor. It has since been used to describe a master of something, in this case ant keeping.
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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

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