72 replies to this topic

[Kaelwizard]

Formica get way more stressed out during founding and in general than Camponotus in my limited experience.

[OhNoNotAgain]

I've founded Pogonomyrmex subnits on nothing but seeds, though some travel-starved queens totally went for the Sunburst.

If it weren't for the horrendous sting and their summer/winter temp changes, I do think Pogonomyrmex are great ants for keeping. In terms of queenless set-ups for kids, they are definitely the ones who do best in an Uncle Milton (I did try Camponotus and all they did was climb the walls and wait at the exit).

 

Also it depends on how you sell them. I could imagine someone selling a complete ant raising kit with a formicarium, thermostat, a small seedling heating mat, and a seed (and maybe fly spike) subscription plan. It would be getting pricey but nothing compared to having a pet dog, bird, cat, or large aquarium.

 

And I also think Veromessor would be a great starter ant assuming someone has the right temperatures. No sting, not as small as Tetramorium, and also seed-based. My only problem is the 50% mortality rate I've seen with the queens I've had. The other problem with Veromessor pergandei is they grow so darn fast. Mine outgrew their Labyrinth within a year. I've ordered a Laby XL for them.

 

Tetramorium is super easy but yes, very small, I think I've been stung and yeah it was kinda annoying (not bad though), and they are so small they have escaped often enough to cause problems for my other colonies.

 

ETA: I used to start Lasius queens when I was kid, pre-Internet. They were easy to found (I couldn't keep the colonies going because I had no clue how to feed them or about diapause or anything).

In fact I'd say diapause is one of the unexpected things that make ant-keeping not so straightforward, so another vote for Veromessor (or maybe non-hibernative Pogonomyrmex).

Edited by OhNoNotAgain, December 13 2020 - 10:45 AM.

[NickAnter]

I would say in terms of easiest species to keep, that I have had, would be Lasius americanus. No escape attempts, slow growing, and quirky, with their little hops, and when they decided to just go bonkers in their test tube. My favorite species I've kept would be either Nylanderia vividula, Temnothorax cf. nevadensis, or, a new contender, Solenopsis truncorum. All of those are fairly good at escaping, but with a good container, its really not a problem.

[ANTdrew]

I would say in terms of easiest species to keep, that I have had, would be Lasius americanus. No escape attempts, slow growing, and quirky, with their little hops, and when they decided to just go bonkers in their test tube. My favorite species I've kept would be either Nylanderia vividula, Temnothorax cf. nevadensis, or, a new contender, Solenopsis truncorum. All of those are fairly good at escaping, but with a good container, its really not a problem.

Again I agree with Nylanderia.

[Ants_Dakota]

Formica get way more stressed out during founding and in general than Camponotus in my limited experience.

yes. that is my experience exactly!

[NickAnter]

I am determined to test out those Formica claims for myself in 2021.

[ANTdrew]

In my experience, Formica are easy to found, but then the colony plateaus or implodes. I hope mine can do better in year two, but I really don’t consider them beginner species.

[MinigunL5]

For people that aren't that new to ant-keeping but aren't pro I'd say thief ants like Solenopsis molesta are good. They are polygynous. Once they get started they can grow pretty fast(especially if they're heated). Also, since they're so small you can house a colony of a few thousand in a Mini Hearth XL. The only big problem is that they're so small they can escape through small holes, but as long as there are no holes and you keep a good barrier they won't escape that much. They sting but they're so small their stinger don't really penetrate your skin. They sometimes inbreed. And they are a bit granivorous and will eat some seeds and nuts. 

[Ants_Dakota]

For people that aren't that new to ant-keeping but aren't pro I'd say thief ants like Solenopsis molesta are good. They are polygynous. Once they get started they can grow pretty fast(especially if they're heated). Also, since they're so small you can house a colony of a few thousand in a Mini Hearth XL. The only big problem is that they're so small they can escape through small holes, but as long as there are no holes and you keep a good barrier they won't escape that much. They sting but they're so small their stinger don't really penetrate your skin. They sometimes inbreed. And they are a bit granivorous and will eat some seeds and nuts. 

that is true. the only problem is that you can't really see their behavior because they are so small.

[MinigunL5]

 

For people that aren't that new to ant-keeping but aren't pro I'd say thief ants like Solenopsis molesta are good. They are polygynous. Once they get started they can grow pretty fast(especially if they're heated). Also, since they're so small you can house a colony of a few thousand in a Mini Hearth XL. The only big problem is that they're so small they can escape through small holes, but as long as there are no holes and you keep a good barrier they won't escape that much. They sting but they're so small their stinger don't really penetrate your skin. They sometimes inbreed. And they are a bit granivorous and will eat some seeds and nuts. 

that is true. the only problem is that you can't really see their behavior because they are so small.

 

Can't argue with that

[Ants_Dakota]

 

 

For people that aren't that new to ant-keeping but aren't pro I'd say thief ants like Solenopsis molesta are good. They are polygynous. Once they get started they can grow pretty fast(especially if they're heated). Also, since they're so small you can house a colony of a few thousand in a Mini Hearth XL. The only big problem is that they're so small they can escape through small holes, but as long as there are no holes and you keep a good barrier they won't escape that much. They sting but they're so small their stinger don't really penetrate your skin. They sometimes inbreed. And they are a bit granivorous and will eat some seeds and nuts. 

that is true. the only problem is that you can't really see their behavior because they are so small.

 

Can't argue with that

 

they are fast growers, though.

[UtahAnts]

I agree with Tetramorium. The only cons with them is small size and the fact that they can do *too* well and overwhelm a keeper’s ability to keep up with them. Watching a huge colony decimate a food source is awe inspiring.

If the only con with a species is it doing "too well" (besides it's size), I think that this is a clear indicator that they are the best species for captivity. Totally agree that Tetramorium are the best, they will eat almost anything, (including the barrier of olive oil and any leftover dinner I have), and I find them to be one of the fastest growing species in my region. The queens are also quite hardy. I have kept dozens and only had one queen die for no reason. To me, this species is the go-to beginner species. 

[Ants_Dakota]

 

I agree with Tetramorium. The only cons with them is small size and the fact that they can do *too* well and overwhelm a keeper’s ability to keep up with them. Watching a huge colony decimate a food source is awe inspiring.

If the only con with a species is it doing "too well" (besides it's size), I think that this is a clear indicator that they are the best species for captivity. Totally agree that Tetramorium are the best, they will eat almost anything, (including the barrier of olive oil and any leftover dinner I have), and I find them to be one of the fastest growing species in my region. The queens are also quite hardy. I have kept dozens and only had one queen die for no reason. To me, this species is the go-to beginner species. 

 

the price of keeping tetramorium is cheaper, then, say pogonomyrmex, because they can live in plastic setups, and thrive. and plastic/acrylic setups are much cheaper.