20 replies to this topic

[Pulliamj]

Can't you just shovel them into a bucket half full of water? When they float to the top you shovel them into another bucket with escape proof on side walls. Bump bucket they come up the sides and then you eliminate them with a propane torch. Do this until they are a manageable size. Then get the queens and as many workers as you want and place in formicarium. Sorry about the blow torch part but seriously they are freaking fire ants.

[AntsTexas]

good question, i wanna try that and c if it works, i got plenty of 'em by my house....

[Pulliamj]

I know the bucket with water works done that before they just creat a giant balls of ants queens in the middle.

[Foogoo]

Try it and take a video! They're invasive anyway so why not.

[Pulliamj]

Lol I'm not the first to do this.

https://www.google.c...vkYoNV7NIKLwHcQ

[Crystals]

Note the top 8" or so are lined with baby powder so they can't climb out. 

 

I use tub with calcium powder when working with my other colonies, or flightless fruit flies, in case of escapees.

[dean_k]

Solenopsis invicta is an ant species I do not want to keep...

 

I favor slow growing species... for my own sake.

 

I mean look at all the mess.

[AntsAnonymous]

I actually just did this with a colony over the last 2 days.  You can't just flood them outright. It needs to be a gradual process. I used some clear tubing connected to a container with water in it. above the bucket full of ants and dirt. Then I plugged the end of the tubing with cotton to reduce it to a drip a second. As the water level slowly rises, they start gathering higher in the soil, until they boil out and form their famous ball of ants. At that point I gave them a platform to move onto, and once a majority of the ants(and brood) were on the platform I placed it in my out world. Eventually they will settle down and go about normal life in captivity.

[Crystals]

If anyone decides to try this, please take pictures and notes and post here once you have them safely contained.  It would be interested to see a thread with pictures where one of our own members did this.

 

 

Solenopsis invicta is an ant species I do not want to keep...

 

I favor slow growing species... for my own sake.

 

I mean look at all the mess.

I wouldn't want a species that is known for its sting and for its ability to escape. 

 

I wouldn't mind a species that grows faster than 100-300 workers a year, but yeah, I am not sure I want one that grows as fast as that.  You would spend all your time tending, containing, feeding, and cleaning that one colony.

[Pulliamj]

I'll do it

[Pulliamj]

Are the big ones queens?

[Pulliamj]

[Pulliamj]

[Pulliamj]

[Crystals]

I am pretty sure those are just majors.

How slowly did you add that water?  It sounded like you were supposed to take hours to slowly drip it.

[Pulliamj]

I'm trying it the fast way like before. If those are majors the queens will be like 20 times the size of normal workers. I can see around 10-20 of the ones I'm calling queens right now. There are more I'm sure but some die and others are still working there way to the top.
Perhaps I have not found a queen yet...I found a picture of a queen fire ant. Gaster is slightly bigger and rounder than the ones I have. But alas don't give up just yet. There are thousands of fire ants making a raft in that bucket only time will tell if one is a queen.

Edited by Pulliamj, April 23 2015 - 9:05 AM.

[Pulliamj]

Remember if I don't succeed they are fire ants. I will be glad to kill them all. And try again with s different method. There are plenty to try 1 every day for the rest of my life. I like the blow torch idea!

[Crystals]

I think I saw one way of doing it where someone took a bucket, cut the bottom off, powdered the top half inside.  Gently hammered the pail into the ground around a fire ant nest and slowly flooded it.

[AntsTexas]

I wouldn't mind a species that grows faster than 100-300 workers a year, but yeah, I am not sure I want one that grows as fast as that.  You would spend all your time tending, containing, feeding, and cleaning that one colony.

hehehe.....  no time for work, no time for girlfriend/boyfriend, no time for family/friends! the queen would have u under her control!!!

Edited by Ant-Man, April 23 2015 - 11:11 AM.

[cpman]

The majority of Texan fire ants are monogyne. Fire ant queens are a tad larger than the very largest majors -- maybe 9-10 mm if I remember right?
I'm interested in seeing how this works. If I remember right, some researchers studing phorid flies use exactly this method to capture colonies.

Oftentimes, in the polygyne nests, some queens will be MUCH closer to the surface. They have smaller majors and MASSIVE nests. The biggest I've seen was a mound about 25" tall by about 45" wide.

I have no desire to keep these ants either. I've seen nests go from nonexistent to several thousand workers within 6 to 8 months or so. I'm not really bothered by the stings anymore, as I've been stung a LOT.