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HARVESTER ANT ACQUISITION

Started By PurdueEntomology , Jul 9 2020 1:37 PM

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12 replies to this topic

#1 Offline PurdueEntomology - Posted July 9 2020 - 1:37 PM

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Hey there you all!!  I would like to procure a harvester ant dealate or a starter colony, any suggestions or  contacts I may have?


#2 Offline TechAnt - Posted July 9 2020 - 1:54 PM

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Hi, I reccomend TarHeel Ants Pogomyrmex Occidentalis colony. They are legal to be shipped throughout the continental U.S.

Link Here: https://tarheelants....ntalis-colonies


My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#3 Offline SleepyAsianAnter - Posted July 9 2020 - 2:18 PM

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There should be a bunch, a lot of them had their flights recently, and THA Pogonomyrmex occidentalis is a bit too expensive and it's boosted, so you never know if you get a bad queen.


#4 Offline Yosigi - Posted July 9 2020 - 2:46 PM

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I second going to THA, his colonies are all well taken care of and at this point in time are no longer boosted, they've all got their own workers at this point.  He makes a point of labeling any colonies that are boosted.


My current colonies:

1x 4 queen Myrmica colony, roughly 30 workers

1x 3 queen Myrmica colony, roughly 20 workers

2x Tetramorium Immigrans colony, one with probably 500 workers and the second has around 200

1x Pogonomyrmex Occidentalis colony from THA, about 40 workers

 

My 1st firebrick formicarium: http://www.formicult...ck-formicarium/

#5 Offline PurdueEntomology - Posted July 9 2020 - 3:13 PM

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THANKS GUYS I WILL SEND HIM AN EMAIL AND SEE WHAT HE HAS.


#6 Offline Serafine - Posted July 9 2020 - 3:21 PM

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There should be a bunch, a lot of them had their flights recently, and THA Pogonomyrmex occidentalis is a bit too expensive and it's boosted, so you never know if you get a bad queen.

THA explicitly states if colonies are boosted and the reason they are boosted is because it increases their chances of survival.

If you have the choice between buying a single queen or a queen that has been boosted with pupae the risk her being unmated is the same but her chances of survival if properly mated are infinitely higher even if she has just a single worker.
Getting the first worker is the most critical stage in a colony's lifetime and if a colony fails most of the time it fails there.


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#7 Offline PurdueEntomology - Posted July 10 2020 - 5:06 AM

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Well I have never kept a harvester ant of any species so it will be an interesting venture.


#8 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted July 10 2020 - 6:17 AM

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There should be a bunch, a lot of them had their flights recently, and THA Pogonomyrmex occidentalis is a bit too expensive and it's boosted, so you never know if you get a bad queen.

THA explicitly states if colonies are boosted and the reason they are boosted is because it increases their chances of survival.
If you have the choice between buying a single queen or a queen that has been boosted with pupae the risk her being unmated is the same but her chances of survival if properly mated are infinitely higher even if she has just a single worker.
Getting the first worker is the most critical stage in a colony's lifetime and if a colony fails most of the time it fails there.
Yeah, I've heard complaints about his boosted colonies not being the most fit. Mine isn’t as unfit as some of the ones I’ve heard of, however it is currently in a loop population wise. 20 or so workers will die, and 20 more pupae will eclose. I’ve had the colony for 2 months now and they are no bigger now than when I first got them.
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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

#9 Offline TechAnt - Posted July 10 2020 - 7:56 AM

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Well I have never kept a harvester ant of any species so it will be an interesting venture.

Just know these guys sting, 3 out of 4 on the sting index. So work carefully around them. I also don't believe they are great climbers either, but don't quote me on it.


My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#10 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted July 10 2020 - 8:00 AM

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Well I have never kept a harvester ant of any species so it will be an interesting venture.

Just know these guys sting, 3 out of 4 on the sting index. So work carefully around them. I also don't believe they are great climbers either, but don't quote me on it.

 

This species is nowhere near a 3. Maybe a 1-2. Not any worse than Solenopsis invicta.


Edited by Ant_Dude2908, July 10 2020 - 8:00 AM.

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#11 Offline TechAnt - Posted July 10 2020 - 8:13 AM

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Well I have never kept a harvester ant of any species so it will be an interesting venture.

Just know these guys sting, 3 out of 4 on the sting index. So work carefully around them. I also don't believe they are great climbers either, but don't quote me on it.

 

This species is nowhere near a 3. Maybe a 1-2. Not any worse than Solenopsis invicta.

 

Huh, I was told they are a 3


My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#12 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted July 10 2020 - 8:18 AM

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Well I have never kept a harvester ant of any species so it will be an interesting venture.

Just know these guys sting, 3 out of 4 on the sting index. So work carefully around them. I also don't believe they are great climbers either, but don't quote me on it.

 

This species is nowhere near a 3. Maybe a 1-2. Not any worse than Solenopsis invicta.

 

Huh, I was told they are a 3

 

P. maricopa may be a 3.


My Main Journal | My Neivamyrmex Journal | My Ant Adoption | My YouTube

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#13 Offline SleepyAsianAnter - Posted July 10 2020 - 9:16 AM

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There should be a bunch, a lot of them had their flights recently, and THA Pogonomyrmex occidentalis is a bit too expensive and it's boosted, so you never know if you get a bad queen.

THA explicitly states if colonies are boosted and the reason they are boosted is because it increases their chances of survival.

If you have the choice between buying a single queen or a queen that has been boosted with pupae the risk her being unmated is the same but her chances of survival if properly mated are infinitely higher even if she has just a single worker.
Getting the first worker is the most critical stage in a colony's lifetime and if a colony fails most of the time it fails there.

 

 

Never thought of it that way, thanks for the info!


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