24 replies to this topic

[azzaaazzzz00]

I'v been havig trouble catching queen ants, today I caught like 5 termite reproductive queens thinking they were queen ants. I've tried to dig up pavment ant nests but 1, I can't reach into the cracks, and 2, I can never find the queen in any other nests. I was thinking of catching freshly mated queens but so far, I have found any.

[Antkeeper01]

I'v been havig trouble catching queen ants, today I caught like 5 termite reproductive queens thinking they were queen ants. I've tried to dig up pavment ant nests but 1, I can't reach into the cracks, and 2, I can never find the queen in any other nests. I was thinking of catching freshly mated queens but so far, I have found any.

i would try digging up Solenopsis molesta colonies or monomorium minimum or basically any other tiny ant

[UtahAnts]

Try going out to a rural area with forests, and flip rocks. This works best around midday on sunny days, even if its cold. You can find almost any species that lives in your area this way. Try using a nuptial chart, like dspdrew's, to find the right time to find certain species.

[Kaelwizard]

 

I'v been havig trouble catching queen ants, today I caught like 5 termite reproductive queens thinking they were queen ants. I've tried to dig up pavment ant nests but 1, I can't reach into the cracks, and 2, I can never find the queen in any other nests. I was thinking of catching freshly mated queens but so far, I have found any.

i would try digging up Solenopsis molesta colonies or monomorium minimum or basically any other tiny ant

 

That disrupts the ecosystem. It doesn't matter how small they are.

[gs5248]

 

 

I'v been havig trouble catching queen ants, today I caught like 5 termite reproductive queens thinking they were queen ants. I've tried to dig up pavment ant nests but 1, I can't reach into the cracks, and 2, I can never find the queen in any other nests. I was thinking of catching freshly mated queens but so far, I have found any.

i would try digging up Solenopsis molesta colonies or monomorium minimum or basically any other tiny ant

 

That disrupts the ecosystem. It doesn't matter how small they are.

 

I second this. Don't disrupt the ecosystem. 

[Manitobant]

Taking one colony should be fine. I take lots if subsericea colonies in my area to sell, yet they haven’t gotten any rarer over the years.

[gs5248]

Good point, if there is a ton of those species in your area, you might as well do that. But their are other reasons why collecting freshy mated queens is a better idea.

[ANTdrew]

I'v been havig trouble catching queen ants, today I caught like 5 termite reproductive queens thinking they were queen ants. I've tried to dig up pavment ant nests but 1, I can't reach into the cracks, and 2, I can never find the queen in any other nests. I was thinking of catching freshly mated queens but so far, I have found any.

Where do you live? It is still very early in the queen finding season, so don’t lose heart. You should have no trouble at all finding Tetramorium queens, but you need to wait for very hot, humid mornings. If you search up on here how to make a blacklight trap, I guarantee you’ll find some queens that way this summer. Other than that, just spend lots of time outside in areas with lots of *native* vegetation. Edge habitats, where a forested area meets a clearing, will harbor the most biodiversity. Don’t take shortcuts to dig up colonies. Finding new queens and starting from scratch is infinitely more rewarding.

Edited by ANTdrew, April 30 2021 - 3:38 PM.

[NPLT]

This is a stupid question, but since a unsuccesfully dug-up colony doesn't usually survive ( or so I've been told ), wouldn't digging up colonies hinder the chances you will find queens in the future?

[gs5248]

Well, yes.

[ANTdrew]

This is a stupid question, but since a unsuccesfully dug-up colony doesn't usually survive ( or so I've been told ), wouldn't digging up colonies hinder the chances you will find queens in the future?

It sure will. Just like how people digging up our native orchids for sale has driven them to the brink of extinction. We have data on this.

[gs5248]

Not only are you disrupting the ecosystem, you are also ruining yours and other ant-keeper's chances of finding queen ants/

[Antkeeper01]

Not only are you disrupting the ecosystem, you are also ruining yours and other ant-keeper's chances of finding queen ants/

i mean if its a Poly sp and its a multi-queen colony and you take some of the queens its not good but not bad either

[azzaaazzzz00]

Thanks for helping me out with finding a queen, I found a Tetramorium queen yesterday. I still don't know if it's mated yet but I just hope it eventually breaks of its wing.

Edited by azzaaazzzz00, May 1 2021 - 9:17 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Well, there you go!

[dspdrew]

Best thing to do is read the pinned topic: How To Find and Catch Queen Ants.

[AntTitan]

If you can't find any, I would recommend black lighting or setting a trap for queen ants.

 

For blacklighting, all you need is a blacklight and a white sheet on a dark night, from there just wait and queen ants, along with lots of other insects will be attracted to the sheet, and you can catch the queen ants their

 

For setting up a trap for queen ants, you can get some bricks or rocks or something and put them on some moist dirt in your front or backyard, check on them every couple days and make sure to mist underneath them every once in a while. Sometimes a queen ant will make her claustral chamber under the rocks or stuff and then you can just grab her.

 

Some other anting tips though is that queen ants aren't amazing fliers so they don't tend to fly on windy days. They also tend to fly the most on warm, calm days, the day or two after a rainstorm. This is also, like other people have said before, early in the anting season and depending on your area queen ants may not be flying yet.

[azzaaazzzz00]

I live in NJ, but I'm not really sure when nuptial flight season is here. I guessed it was spring but I'm not completley sure.

Edited by azzaaazzzz00, May 4 2021 - 11:38 AM.

[ReignofRage]

I live in NJ, but I'm not really sure when nuptial flight season is here. I guessed it was spring but I'm not completley sure.

You can look up what ants are in your area and when they fly.

[azzaaazzzz00]

Ok, most say it's in spring/now, also I don't know when they fly (I mean like what time of the day). It's probably really early in the morning because I never see them.