69 replies to this topic

[GreekAnts]

Hey, I am new here and I am new to the hobby too,my name is Angelos and I am from Athens, Greece,
I have tried to start a colony in the past with no luck (all the queens I had, died in the founding colony process) and I gave up but I never stopped to be fascinated with ants, so one day youtube decided to suggest me some videos and I started watching a lot of them,I began to search more online about ants and I decided that I really want to keep at least one colony of local only ants, I started going outside with my testubes but I had no luck because here it hasnt rain for a while and its not going to any time soon.. I decided to wait(I am waiting a week and I guess it will take another one) but in the meantime I am going to local parks and forest like parks to search for ant nests, I mark their location on my phone and when it will rain I am going to visit this parks to search for mated queens. The ants here arent so many and after 2 years since my last time I was into the hobby I think a lot of them dissapeared, I havent see any camponotus for example, I only see big headed ants and some little ones (idk their species).
While I wait can someone suggest me some more info about the hobby or help me with the process of founding a queen ant?

Sorry if its long text and thank you for accepting me to the forum!

 

[ANTdrew]

Welcome! I know of at least one member from Greece who finds lots of queens. Hopefully he can help you. alex-barty is his username.

Edited by ANTdrew, July 15 2021 - 3:31 PM.

[TestSubjectOne]

Welcome to the forum! The best advice I can give for founding a colony, once the queen gets her first nanitics in a test tube setup, is to feed them insects regularly and make sure that they always have access to honey soaked into a cotton ball or in a feeder so the ants won't drown. Depending on the temperature of the area where you found the queens, I would also suggest using a heat source. By warming up heat-loving species, you will increase their brood growth and their activity level. You can do this by putting them on a hot pad or cord, or by using a thermostat and heat source to warm a box. Heat (for some species), honey, water and food are the basic needs of most ants.

[GreekAnts]

Thanks for the answers and thanks for the info, I don't think I will have problems with temperature but I will look for a heating cable in the future, what insects is the best for ants and what's the easiest to find or even to make a colony of them?
Another question I have is, When the rain starts should I search for queens the same day or the next days? and where should I search first? ,in the city (sidewalks, small parks etc) or should I go in the large forest like parks?

[GreekAnts]

Welcome! I know of at least one member from Greece who finds lots of queens. Hopefully he can help you. alex-barty is his username.

Thanks for the info, I hope he will see the post, If he is from athens maybe he will know a good spot, but I will search everywhere anyways until I found at least 1 queen (I will try to catch more so I will be safe)

[GreekAnts]

Another question I forgot to ask, nuptial flights happen only after rains or it is possible to happen without rain?

[ANTdrew]

Not every species is dependent on rain, but it can definitely help trigger flights. You should aim to spend lots of time outside on any hot, humid days with light winds. Edge habitats, eg, where a field meets a forest will have the highest diversity. Another very effective technique you could try is shining a UV blacklight on a white sheet on hot nights to attract night flying queens.

Edited by ANTdrew, July 15 2021 - 4:00 PM.

[GreekAnts]

Not every species is dependent on rain, but it can definitely help trigger flights. You should aim to spend lots of time outside on any hot, humid days with light winds. Edge habitats, eg, where a field meets a forest will have the highest diversity. Another very effective technique you could try is shining a UV blacklight on a white sheet on hot nights to attract night flying queens.

Thanks for the answer!

[GreekAnts]

Is messor ants hard to keep? I find interesting that they keep a supply of seeds in their nests and I would like to keep a colony.
In antwiki it says that we have a lot of them here but I don't know when they fly, I heard that they fly in spring but I heard that they fly in october too so I am confused.
 

[ANTdrew]

I think they are quite easy to keep. Definitely worth the effort to find some.

[ConcordAntman]

Is messor ants hard to keep? I find interesting that they keep a supply of seeds in their nests and I would like to keep a colony.
In antwiki it says that we have a lot of them here but I don't know when they fly, I heard that they fly in spring but I heard that they fly in october too so I am confused.
 

There’s a thread that catalogs nuptial flights. It includes North American and worldwide information. Keep your test tubes handy and good luck! 
https://www.formicul...g-chart/?p=1004

[GreekAnts]

Thanks for the info!  The only problem is that the weather don't like me, I am waiting 1 week for a rain and yesterday they said in the weather news that we gonna have thunderstorms in the country, I was excited because that meant that there gonna be nuptial flights but it turns out its not gonna rain in my area...  I will still hope for a rain but I don't think it will any time soon... In the next weeks forecast it says mostly sunny....

[ConcordAntman]

Don’t despair. When I first started ant keeping, I spent a month walking nature trails near my home 24-48 hours after a rain storm with a backpack of test tubes looking for queens. I never found one, yet within a few weeks I found 5 queens in my back yard!

Check your local library or search on Amazon for a field guide to ants common to the Mediterranean. Get to know what species live locally, learn what’s known about their habits, then use that knowledge along with nuptial flight information to find the best places to look. Ants are everywhere! Relax, stay observant, and you’ll find queens. After all, if you see workers about, you know there are colonies nearby so it’s only a matter of time until alates will appear!

[GreekAnts]

today I bought a black light and a ytong block, I started making the nest and its almost finished, I know I don't even have ants so its too early but I had a lot of time and I wanted to make the nest for a reason.. 
I want to paint the ytong but Idk what paint to use, can someone suggest a nontoxic paint? 
This is what I have made so far: (note its not ready yet)



The hole you see is for hydration (I will put a sponge there)
I have marked the entrance hole but its not ready yet
It needs a lot of work but it will be really good when its done, I found a clean glass to put on the front too!, the ytong was really cheap (I bought it 2 euros) and I have more (I can make another 2 nests or a large one)

Edited by GreekAnts, July 19 2021 - 12:56 PM.

[GreekAnts]

I found some paints in a drawer in my house, its chalk paint and it says its non toxic, its a good idea to use this paint for the outside of the nest when its ready?

[WSantkeeper]

today I bought a black light and a ytong block, I started making the nest and its almost finished, I know I don't even have ants so its too early but I had a lot of time and I wanted to make the nest for a reason.. 
I want to paint the ytong but Idk what paint to use, can someone suggest a nontoxic paint? 
This is what I have made so far: (note its not ready yet)



The hole you see is for hydration (I will put a sponge there)
I have marked the entrance hole but its not ready yet
It needs a lot of work but it will be really good when its done, I found a clean glass to put on the front too!, the ytong was really cheap (I bought it 2 euros) and I have more (I can make another 2 nests or a large one)

Nice nest there: It seems that most nontoxic paint works. I don't know about your area though. 

[ANTdrew]

That paint will be fine.
Good luck with your blacklight. I bet you’ll gets lots of stuff after a rainy day.

[GreekAnts]

That paint will be fine.
Good luck with your blacklight. I bet you’ll gets lots of stuff after a rainy day.

Thanks for the answer!
Do you think it will attract any queens after a rain if I place it in my balcony?  the balcony is in the back of the building next to a garden with trees and its first floor, unfortunately I can't access the garden cause its private area (another persons home)

[WSantkeeper]

 

That paint will be fine.
Good luck with your blacklight. I bet you’ll gets lots of stuff after a rainy day.

Thanks for the answer!
Do you think it will attract any queens after a rain if I place it in my balcony?  the balcony is in the back of the building next to a garden with trees and its first floor, unfortunately I can't access the garden cause its private area (another persons home)

 

It could, though it really depends if the ants actually "want" to have a flight. Strangely enough, I catch most of my queens when I never expect it( i.e. just walking outside, with no intentions.)

[GreekAnts]

 

 

That paint will be fine.
Good luck with your blacklight. I bet you’ll gets lots of stuff after a rainy day.

Thanks for the answer!
Do you think it will attract any queens after a rain if I place it in my balcony?  the balcony is in the back of the building next to a garden with trees and its first floor, unfortunately I can't access the garden cause its private area (another persons home)

 

It could, though it really depends if the ants actually "want" to have a flight. Strangely enough, I catch most of my queens when I never expect it( i.e. just walking outside, with no intentions.)

 

I will mostly look outside, I will try to go to more parks and look around, lift rocks and search everywhere, I even carry testubes with me all the time, I just bought a black light cause I am afraid that I will not find any queens at all so I thought it was a good idea for a plan b if needed