6 replies to this topic

[dermy]

Can you keep an ant colony in just a nest without a foraging area? If so what do you need to do?

 

[Just in case anyone's wondering, I'm not doing this with any of my colonies, i was just curious as to if it could be done?]

[Crystals]

By foraging area, you mean a slightly larger area where we can add food and remove garbage?

Or are you referring to a larger connected foraging to a nest?

 

If you think about it, the term foraging area is largely thought of by size.  For example, most of my founding queens consider the end of my test tube to be a foraging area.

[dermy]

I meant a extra container connected to the nest that you add/remove food/garbage from.

[Trailandstreet]

It depends on the species you have. Some of them need larger areas to fourage or dump their waste. If it is to small, they don't stop running around.

Sometimes it works, that you can use an extra container f.e. for the waste and the ants put it there, but some ants are different, they always do something else.

 

edit:

I forgot, ants like Lasius flavus, that mostly live in the underground do not really need a big open foraging area. They only need a place, where you can feed them.

Edited by Trailandstreet, April 15 2015 - 1:45 PM.

[Chromerust]

I'd say some sort of outworld is needed so the ants at least have a place to dump their garbage and dead workers.

[Crystals]

In theory, I have done this with a colony that was very reluctant to leave their nest. Sending live fruit flies to climb up the vinyl tubing and into the nest. The workers dumped the garbage right at the end of the vinyl tubing.
But it was a big hassle.

A dedicated foraging area is always so much easier. If you can get your hand into it easily, even better.

 

By the way, congrats on one of the most vague thread titles on the forum. It isn't even searchable...

[dermy]

It is a big hassle and a half, not only does it stress them out it's hard to get anything in/out when there is 300+ workers I gave them an outworld and it's easier now