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Which species is the cleanest?

Started By skocko76 , Jun 6 2020 2:22 PM

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22 replies to this topic

#1 Offline skocko76 - Posted June 6 2020 - 2:22 PM

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Just thinking...I know Pheidole are rather messy... But which ants are the cleanest? I mean, removing bits of food to the outworld and least staining their nests with food/poop?
Which are the dirtiest?

#2 Offline Nare - Posted June 6 2020 - 2:29 PM

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Generally I think myrmicines are dirtier than formicines. That's why I think formicines are better suited for display. Something like Pogonomyrmex or Messor might be the dirtiest ants in my opinion, as they poop in copious quantities all over the place.


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#3 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 6 2020 - 3:01 PM

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Tetramorium by a country mile.

Edit: “by a country mile” is an idiom in English meaning that something wins by an exaggerated distance in a race.

Edited by ANTdrew, June 6 2020 - 3:14 PM.

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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#4 Offline CheetoLord02 - Posted June 6 2020 - 3:19 PM

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In my experience, my large Aphaenogaster tennesseensis colony won't leave a speck of dirt in their nest. I even had them clean out an old nest that a Camponotus colony had trashed. Cocoon casings, trash, old food all over the place, but I gave the nest to the tenn and they removed it all within a day.

On the other hand, Monomorium are also insanely clean. I have a M. minumum colony in a mini hearth and there is absolutely no signs of any trash whatsoever. They don't even mess with the sand in the formicarium. It looks just like it did when I first got it.


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#5 Offline skocko76 - Posted June 9 2020 - 6:42 AM

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Generally I think myrmicines are dirtier than formicines. That's why I think formicines are better suited for display. Something like Pogonomyrmex or Messor might be the dirtiest ants in my opinion, as they poop in copious quantities all over the place.

Oh yeah, tell me about it! My Messors like to decorate the acrylic walls with poop. Talking about artistic!


Tetramorium by a country mile.

Edit: “by a country mile” is an idiom in English meaning that something wins by an exaggerated distance in a race.

Do you mean clean or dirty? I would assume dirty, right?


Edited by skocko76, June 9 2020 - 6:43 AM.

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#6 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted June 9 2020 - 7:07 AM

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Generally I think myrmicines are dirtier than formicines. That's why I think formicines are better suited for display. Something like Pogonomyrmex or Messor might be the dirtiest ants in my opinion, as they poop in copious quantities all over the place.

Never had problems with feces, but my Pogonomyrmex just dump their trash in every corner of their outworld.
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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

#7 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted June 9 2020 - 7:09 AM

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Generally I think myrmicines are dirtier than formicines. That's why I think formicines are better suited for display. Something like Pogonomyrmex or Messor might be the dirtiest ants in my opinion, as they poop in copious quantities all over the place.

Never had problems with feces, but my Pogonomyrmex just dump their trash in every corner of their outworld.

 

Mine have pooped all over the glass of their Mini Hearth, so much as to where the queen and brood are invisible now... 


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#8 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 9 2020 - 7:14 AM

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Generally I think myrmicines are dirtier than formicines. That's why I think formicines are better suited for display. Something like Pogonomyrmex or Messor might be the dirtiest ants in my opinion, as they poop in copious quantities all over the place.

Oh yeah, tell me about it! My Messors like to decorate the acrylic walls with poop. Talking about artistic!

Tetramorium by a country mile.

Edit: “by a country mile” is an idiom in English meaning that something wins by an exaggerated distance in a race.

Do you mean clean or dirty? I would assume dirty, right?
No, no. Tetramorium are the cleanest, most efficient ants. Period. There’s a reason they are so dominant.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#9 Offline skocko76 - Posted June 9 2020 - 7:21 AM

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Generally I think myrmicines are dirtier than formicines. That's why I think formicines are better suited for display. Something like Pogonomyrmex or Messor might be the dirtiest ants in my opinion, as they poop in copious quantities all over the place.

Oh yeah, tell me about it! My Messors like to decorate the acrylic walls with poop. Talking about artistic!

Tetramorium by a country mile.

Edit: “by a country mile” is an idiom in English meaning that something wins by an exaggerated distance in a race.

Do you mean clean or dirty? I would assume dirty, right?
No, no. Tetramorium are the cleanest, most efficient ants. Period. There’s a reason they are so dominant.

 

Wow! I assumed they were dirty, as many consider them to be household pests they can't get rid of. Talking about prejudice!

I had a few Tetramorium semilaeve queens with nanitics, but didn't keep them as I didn't want to risk them escaping and infesting my home.


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#10 Offline skocko76 - Posted June 13 2020 - 1:00 PM

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Just caught some T. semilaeve queens! :) Will be keeping some for sure now :)

#11 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 13 2020 - 1:33 PM

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Great! Start a journal, please. I would like learn more about the Tetramorium from the Old Country.

Edited by ANTdrew, June 13 2020 - 1:35 PM.

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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#12 Offline skocko76 - Posted June 14 2020 - 12:24 AM

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Great! Start a journal, please. I would like learn more about the Tetramorium from the Old Country.

Will do!

#13 Offline Vendayn - Posted June 16 2020 - 11:43 AM

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Out of the ants I've had probably pheidole megacephala and acromyrmex. The ph. Megacephala are easiest ant i ever had in general while being nice and tidy. Acromyrmex versicolor were really clean too but that is important for the fungus so to be expected.

Edited by Vendayn, June 16 2020 - 11:44 AM.

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#14 Offline TechAnt - Posted June 16 2020 - 1:20 PM

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I can tell you one thing, my Pheidole are NOT the cleanest by a long shot.
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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

#15 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 18 2020 - 2:18 PM

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I think Prenolepis imparis are the cleanest ants I've kept. I gave mine a cricket leg the other day, and after they had finished eating it they dragged it all the way to their test tube's entrance.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#16 Offline NickAnter - Posted July 18 2020 - 2:43 PM

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Not having kept many ants, my cleanest right now are the Lasius, being the only ones with a trash pile.


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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#17 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 18 2020 - 3:20 PM

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Not having kept many ants, my cleanest right now are the Lasius, being the only ones with a trash pile.

I think formicines in general are cleaner than myrmicines.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#18 Offline Croux - Posted July 18 2020 - 3:41 PM

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Prenolepis imparis would handily stack their garbage on the liquid feeders, which would also serve as a reminder to replace the feeder.

Just started lasius nearcticus, will report on their cleanliness, soon.

#19 Offline Manitobant - Posted July 18 2020 - 4:40 PM

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Tapinoma and dolichoderines in general are quite dirty in my experience. They will pull cotton and stain their nest with food and their dead colony members. As for the dirtiest ant out there, I'm betting it would be trichomyrmex destructor. These things can chew through almost anything and will probably leave formicariums a mess.

Edited by Manitobant, July 18 2020 - 4:41 PM.

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My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449
General acanthomyops journal: https://www.formicul...yops-with-eggs/

#20 Offline AntaholicAnonymous - Posted July 23 2020 - 1:15 PM

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I have messor barbarus and they are very clean in my case.
If they don't want something I give them it goes right to the trash pile they leave nothing laying around.
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