82 replies to this topic

[Bardusquus]

Hello everyone! I just registered on this site and I would like to share my experiences with the formicidae fauna of Florida.
So far I only have 14 Solenopsis invicta queens and one Brachymyrmex queen. But let me explain below the situation.
Basically I collected ant queens, the first 4 were collected in April 7th, and the other 9 in April 27. The first colony had it rough and when the larvae pupated, the Burger king straw I kept them in dried out and the brood died. By that time it was April 29. It was about to rain on April 27, so I set up to look for ant queens. I caught a total 9 more. I placed 4 ants in one substrate enclosure (playground sand sterilized) and 5 others in another substrate enclosure. On may 22, the test tubes I had bought from amazon had arrived, pack of 12. So I put the 4 original queens into a test tube and fed them sugar to see if they can recover. During that day it was rainy so I captured a total 5 more queens, 4 being S.invicta and the other being Brachymymrex. It had been a week now up to this point, all 4 S.invicta have tiny brood including the Brachymymrex queen. I placed them outside to have them grow faster since then. 3 queens out of 4 in one substrate enclosure had died, leaving me with 1. She ate her most of her larvae except one, which looks about ready to pupate. The other 4 queens are still alive, have a huge batch of larvae up to 7 that are about to pupate with about a two dozen more eggs. I'm not sure if this colony already has pupae but they're just hidden, but I'm betting it does since the long span of time it took. So that's how my story finishes at 5-28-15, waiting for the colony to colony and all.

I check on them once or twice a day to see how they are doing because I keep them outside. Just checking in case ghost ants decide to invade. I found a spider inside one of the enclosures. Here they are at night.
 

Original S.invicta queens are at the top, the first test tube.


These are the 4 queens in the substrate enclosure. Doing good so far.


This enclosure originally had 4 queens but all but 1 died. She's fast so the picture is blurry, and she usually hides near the entran ce of the claustral chamber where the 4 originally dug vertically. So she has space to hide.

Now for some questions, in order for the fastest maturation rate of brood to occur, what temperature and source of heat should I use to acquire this. Or what else can I do to get them to grow faster. It gets cold at night and windy at day because it's storm season, so the enclosures and test tubes get relatively cooled because of this. Also I have trouble finding Pogonomymrex badius, I live in Fort Lauderdale in Weston city so I don't know where to look for them. Most of the areas are grassy or golfball courses, and I want to diversify the range of species I keep. Brachymymrex is the only new species I have attributed to, but Pogonomymrex ants are my favorite for their relatively easy feeding habits and population-limited colonies. Thanks and wait for next time until the first workers enclose!

Edited by Bardusquus, June 25 2015 - 11:12 AM.

[Chromerust]

Why are you keeping them outside? This poses a lot of challenges and honestly it's not really the best way to start out in ant keeping. It's not a very good idea to disturb founding queens twice a day everyday either in my opinion. A heat lamp is a easy way to add some warmth for all the queens at the same time. Make sure you have a accurate thermometer and be careful not to cook them. I find 80F is a excellent temp for all tropical ants. If you want to find Pogonomyrmex you will need to go where the nests are. Here in California they typically prefer dirt roads and fields with no vegetation around the nest. A lot of times you can find queens digging near streets with dirt shoulders. I think they are attracted to the heat dissipating from the asphalt. I'm not very familiar with Florida Pogonomyrmex so it could be completely different. Hope I answered most of your questions. Maybe next time just hit us with a couple questions at a time, makes it a little easier.

[dspdrew]

I think Pogonomyrmex badius lives in sand at the beach or something like that.

[drtrmiller]

The first colony had it rough and when the larvae pupated, the Burger king straw I kept them in dried out and the brood died. 

 

A great example of what never to do in antkeeping.

[Ants4fun]

Are you one the Yuku forum?

[Ants4fun]

I thought you posted a similar topic...

[Bardusquus]

Why are you keeping them outside? This poses a lot of challenges and honestly it's not really the best way to start out in ant keeping. It's not a very good idea to disturb founding queens twice a day everyday either in my opinion. A heat lamp is a easy way to add some warmth for all the queens at the same time. Make sure you have a accurate thermometer and be careful not to cook them. I find 80F is a excellent temp for all tropical ants. If you want to find Pogonomyrmex you will need to go where the nests are. Here in California they typically prefer dirt roads and fields with no vegetation around the nest. A lot of times you can find queens digging near streets with dirt shoulders. I think they are attracted to the heat dissipating from the asphalt. I'm not very familiar with Florida Pogonomyrmex so it could be completely different. Hope I answered most of your questions. Maybe next time just hit us with a couple questions at a time, makes it a little easier.

 

I keep them outside because my roommate loves the cold, and every room in the apartment is air conditioned. So I keep them out  where the sun hits them.

Yeah but I don't know any areas in Ft.lauderdale Florida in Weston that could possibly house colonies. They live near shrubs where very little vegetation is located and it's about to be June, the month they mostly fly.

[Bardusquus]

 

The first colony had it rough and when the larvae pupated, the Burger king straw I kept them in dried out and the brood died. 

 

A great example of what never to do in antkeeping.

 

Shh... I got into the nasty habit of checking on them because of this. I make sure to check on them and water the enclosure so the brood don't dry out as well as the queens.

And because I forgot about them for 2 weeks, this happened. May they rest in ant heaven where pepperoni slices roam free for them to eat.

[dermy]

Won't the sun fry them

[Bardusquus]

I think Pogonomyrmex badius lives in sand at the beach or something like that.

I think they've never been reported to live in sand, or even beaches.

Won't the sun fry them

No it's hydrated so no chance. Also covered with a skittles box and the glass enclosures are covered with paper to protect them against sunlight.

[dermy]

Okay, hopefully it doesn't get too hot for them though

[Bardusquus]

Also, update: the brachymymrex queens larvae look large enough to pupate. These species tend to grow faster. We will see. 5/29/2015.

[Bardusquus]

Okay, hopefully it doesn't get too hot for them though

Don't worry, S.invicta are considered pest in my area because of their hardiness and ability to sting.

[123LordOfAnts123]

Pogonomyrmex badius can be found in most undisturbed habitats with well-draining sand or sandy soil in sunny to semi-sunny areas. I've also found them to be common along some roadsides and highways that receive little disturbance. They persist in more urban areas nesting in and around ideal micro-habitats, often along sidewalks or sandy un-pampered lawns. They're most common in untouched Sandhill pine and Florida scrub habitat, where you're almost guaranteed to find them. Along the east, and probably the west coast, they're fairly common nesting in the sand dunes and other similiar areas leading up to the beach.

 

Always nice to see another Floridian - after going at this for 7 years I've found anters in our state to be lacking.

Edited by 123Lord Of Ants123, May 29 2015 - 3:22 PM.

[Bardusquus]

Pogonomyrmex badius can be found in most undisturbed habitats with well-draining sand or sandy soil in sunny to semi-sunny areas. I've also found them to be common along some roadsides and highways that receive little disturbance. They persist in more urban areas nesting in and around ideal micro-habitats, often along sidewalks or sandy un-pampered lawns. They're most common in untouched Sandhill pine and Florida scrub habitat, where you're almost guaranteed to find them. Along the east, and probably the west coast, they're fairly common nesting in the sand dunes and other similiar areas leading up to the beach.

 

Always nice to see another Floridian - after going at this for 7 years I've found anters in our state to be lacking.

Thanks. Any place near Ft.lauderdale Weston? I don't see them at all at the desert like shrub areas around my neighborhood.

[123LordOfAnts123]

No idea. Your best bet would be to take a scouting drive or search around on google maps using the satellite view.

Edited by 123Lord Of Ants123, May 29 2015 - 3:46 PM.

[Bardusquus]

No idea. Your best bet would be to take a scouting drive or search around on google maps using the satellite view.

Are they prevalent on the sand dunes in Miami's beaches? I know a neighborhood where it's relatively dry and shrubby but no sandhill pines there.

Would you also mind helping me in google maps finding the best area for finding them? I'm already looking at parks... they are grassy and healthy, not the type of habitat P.badius likes.

Edited by Bardusquus, May 29 2015 - 4:09 PM.

[123LordOfAnts123]

I wouldn't know, but from what I've seen Miami doesn't much in the way of natural sand dunes. Here's a few links to their native and preferred habitat. Read up on them, and once you get a good idea on where they like to nest, you might have an inkling as to where to better find them.

 

http://www.floridata...loridaScrub.cfm

 

http://myfwc.com/con...ction/sandhill/

 

With that said, I've found them in plenty of unexpected areas. You'd have the most luck just getting out there and looking.

[Bardusquus]

The queens in one of the substrate enclosure are tending to this big larvae, not big enough to be a male, but to be something. And they all seem to have their attention towards it, they seem to be helping it take its old skin off. But it's hard to tell, they look like more of feeding off it more than helping as it looks like half of the upper area is gone. Who knows?

EDIT: Also the same queens now have 2 pupa and possibly more!

Edited by Bardusquus, May 30 2015 - 10:10 AM.

[Bardusquus]

Here's a picture of what appears to be
another large larva.

Also UPDATE: the queens in the test tube's brood are growing fast. They about medium size, and they all look very healthy.

Edited by Bardusquus, June 3 2015 - 6:37 PM.