91 replies to this topic

[Swirlysnowflake]

Is anyone selling Argentine Ants in CA (with shipping)? I wanna buy some because for this species doesn't have nuptial flights. Tyyy

[M_Ants]

They are invasive, kill native ants, and frankly annoying and boring. Not judging, but their are soooo many cooler ants in CA.

[M_Ants]

For example we have harvesters, honeypots, fungus growers, pheidole, acorn ants, and camponotus.

[SleepyAsianAnter]

Argentines are hell on native biodiversity. 

[JenC]

Argentines are good for making your ants disappear if you're interested in that.

[SleepyAsianAnter]

But if you pay me 20 bucks I can go outside with a shovel

[TennesseeAnts]

Is anyone selling Argentine Ants in CA (with shipping)? I wanna buy some because for this species doesn't have nuptial flights. Tyyy

If you want Linepithema look in urban settings.

[Manitobant]

Linepithema are very easy to collect yourself. They nest almost anywhere, and simply flipping a stone can yield tons of queens.

[TechAnt]

Isn't selling invasives on the market against forum rules..

[Vendayn]

I thought Argentine ants were the exception, at least as far as the law goes in California. Argentine ants are no longer quarantined (in California), and the government completely stopped doing anything to stop them from spreading within the state. Which is really sad tbh that they gave up. They kinda did the same for Solenopsis invicta too, though at least they are still a "quarantined" species.

 

Either way, who'd buy Argentine ants in California anyway lol. The most common ant in California. I personally wouldn't buy Argentine ants for one cent, you'd have to pay me to make me keep Argentine ants lol. Literally the easiest ant to get where you don't even have to go anywhere to get them.

Edited by Vendayn, July 30 2020 - 11:47 AM.

[Broncos]

Don’t buy these kill them dude. You never want Argentine ants because they are the best escape artists in my opinion and have been known to get past any barrier placed. Go for some other species dude. Come on

Edited by Broncos, July 30 2020 - 11:49 AM.

[Vendayn]

Don’t buy these kill them dude. You never want Argentine ants because they are the best escape artists in my opinion and have been known to get past any barrier placed. Go for some other species dude. Come on

As someone who has killed hordes of Argentine ants, its a waste of time sadly. Its up to the government to manage them and even they gave up. Mostly have to hope one day Argentine ants get a disease that wipes them out (which happened in New Zealand).

 

Either way, I tried saving Pogonomyrmex californicus last year from Argentine ants, the last colony around here. And it was like blowing a huge wave at the beach hoping to destroy the wave. A waste of time lol. No matter how many Argentine ant colonies and ants I killed, it was like fighting an endless horde. Eventually, despite my help (which was a lot for one person), AND buying dozens of ant baits (the terro liquid ones), it mattered not and the last Pogonomyrmex colony died.

 

A better way than killing Argentine ants is introducing NATIVE ants that do good against them. Monomorium ergatogyna/minimum make HUGE colonies (though they hibernate sadly no matter the climate/weather), and win 99% of their fights against Argentine ants. Plus if the colony gets big enough, they can completely remove Argentine ants from entire areas. Forelius pruinosus/mccooki is pretty good if live in a drier area, same with Dorymyrmex bicolor. Not as good as Monomorium, but do pretty decent.

 

Anyway, not to change the subject of the thread. But pretty sure even if there is no quarantine or containment or anything at all in California about Argentine ants, don't think its within forum rules anyway. But still don't see why someone would buy them when you can't breathe without breathing on an Argentine ant in California lol.

Edited by Vendayn, July 30 2020 - 12:02 PM.

[Broncos]

Don’t buy these kill them dude. You never want Argentine ants because they are the best escape artists in my opinion and have been known to get past any barrier placed. Go for some other species dude. Come on

As someone who has killed hordes of Argentine ants, its a waste of time sadly. Its up to the government to manage them and even they gave up. Mostly have to hope one day Argentine ants get a disease that wipes them out (which happened in New Zealand).

Either way, I tried saving Pogonomyrmex californicus last year from Argentine ants, the last colony around here. And it was like blowing a huge wave at the beach hoping to destroy the wave. A waste of time lol. No matter how many Argentine ant colonies and ants I killed, it was like fighting an endless horde. Eventually, despite my help (which was a lot for one person), AND buying dozens of ant baits (the terro liquid ones), it mattered not and the last Pogonomyrmex colony died.

A better way than killing Argentine ants is introducing NATIVE ants that do good against them. Monomorium ergatogyna/minimum make HUGE colonies (though they hibernate sadly no matter the climate/weather), and win 99% of their fights against Argentine ants. Plus if the colony gets big enough, they can completely remove Argentine ants from entire areas. Forelius pruinosus/mccooki is pretty good if live in a drier area, same with Dorymyrmex bicolor. Not as good as Monomorium, but do pretty decent.

Anyway, not to change the subject of the thread. But pretty sure even if there is no quarantine or containment or anything at all in California about Argentine ants, don't think its within forum rules anyway. But still don't see why someone would buy them when you can't breathe without breathing on an Argentine ant in California lol.

yea it’s pretty sad. I’m thinking about introducing pheidole because despite their size 1 can still kill an Argentine ant and the majors can take out many. And they grow quicker than Argentine ants

[RushmoreAnts]

Dump boiling water down in all their nests in your property (unless you live in an apartment complex) and replace them with natives, like some that you mentioned.

Don’t buy these kill them dude. You never want Argentine ants because they are the best escape artists in my opinion and have been known to get past any barrier placed. Go for some other species dude. Come on

As someone who has killed hordes of Argentine ants, its a waste of time sadly. Its up to the government to manage them and even they gave up. Mostly have to hope one day Argentine ants get a disease that wipes them out (which happened in New Zealand).
Either way, I tried saving Pogonomyrmex californicus last year from Argentine ants, the last colony around here. And it was like blowing a huge wave at the beach hoping to destroy the wave. A waste of time lol. No matter how many Argentine ant colonies and ants I killed, it was like fighting an endless horde. Eventually, despite my help (which was a lot for one person), AND buying dozens of ant baits (the terro liquid ones), it mattered not and the last Pogonomyrmex colony died.
A better way than killing Argentine ants is introducing NATIVE ants that do good against them. Monomorium ergatogyna/minimum make HUGE colonies (though they hibernate sadly no matter the climate/weather), and win 99% of their fights against Argentine ants. Plus if the colony gets big enough, they can completely remove Argentine ants from entire areas. Forelius pruinosus/mccooki is pretty good if live in a drier area, same with Dorymyrmex bicolor. Not as good as Monomorium, but do pretty decent.
Anyway, not to change the subject of the thread. But pretty sure even if there is no quarantine or containment or anything at all in California about Argentine ants, don't think its within forum rules anyway. But still don't see why someone would buy them when you can't breathe without breathing on an Argentine ant in California lol.

yea it’s pretty sad. I’m thinking about introducing pheidole because despite their size 1 can still kill an Argentine ant and the majors can take out many. And they grow quicker than Argentine ants

Also, the Pheidole majors probably wouldn’t be able to take out that many, as they’d get swarmed from all directions.

[ponerinecat]

Linepithema do have flights   And why does that matter to you? If I remember every single ant has nuptials.

[RushmoreAnts]

Linepithema do have flights   And why does that matter to you? If I remember every single ant has nuptials.

Members of the Army Ant genera don’t.

[ponerinecat]

 

Linepithema do have flights   And why does that matter to you? If I remember every single ant has nuptials.

Members of the Army Ant genera don’t.

I would consider releasing males to be a nuptial flight.

[TechAnt]

 

Linepithema do have flights   And why does that matter to you? If I remember every single ant has nuptials.

Members of the Army Ant genera don’t.

 

Nor do ants like Spider Ants.

[ponerinecat]

 

 

Linepithema do have flights   And why does that matter to you? If I remember every single ant has nuptials.

Members of the Army Ant genera don’t.

 

Nor do ants like Spider Ants.

 

Males. They fly. 

[Swirlysnowflake]

Honestly idek why I want them. I’ve tried flipping rocks, to no avail. If anyone really could ship me a colony I would pay shipping and some for the colony (but not too much) 

They are invasive, kill native ants, and frankly annoying and boring. Not judging, but their are soooo many cooler ants in CA.

Yep, I know, but you can combine wild ants with the colony and I would like to keep a huge supercolony of them