5 replies to this topic

[NancyZamora4991]

I found two Camponotus colonies but I am unable to give them a water source for a few days. Will they last? 

[ANTdrew]

Do not collect wild colonies, especially if you are not prepared to care for them well. Put them back where you found them.

[NancyZamora4991]

Ok. Thanks for your feedback

[Manitobant]

I would actually advise you to keep them, especially if they are small. Camponotus are a very low humidity genus, so they should be good for a short time. I would put a wet cotton ball in whatever you are housing them in though, just in case.

[NancyZamora4991]

I moved them into a test tube setup so they are ok now.

[CheetoLord02]

Ants die insanely quickly without water. I have learned this the hard way, even with desert species. I have gone out for a night/morning blacklighting session, where I start in the evening around 7pm, collect until 10 or so, get some sleep, and wake up at 4am for the morning fliers. This would usually have me back home and making test tube setups between 7 and 9am the next morning, and in the 12 hours since I collected the night queens I would have some deaths from dehydration, and others dying. I learned now to either give them a bit of wet soil or just make test tube setups right away.