17 replies to this topic

[antsinvirgina]

So I have a Atta Texana colony and I am keeping the humidity stable. But what kinds of leaves do they like? My brother got them for me to take care of.

 

 

P.S there is no queen, so if I keep these ants for a long time (with out them dying) my brother will give me a queen. And yes they have fungus lot of it.

[Manitobant]

Why did your brother give you a queenless atta colony? That sounds like a scam. Even if it was a colony fragment, there is a good chance the pheromones will change by the time you get the queen and they will fight.

Edited by Manitobant, October 5 2021 - 7:09 AM.

[mmcguffi]

They may keep cutting leaves for a while (maybe a couple months at best), but eventually they will stop. In my experience Atta texana (and I assume this is true for other Atta) only tend fungus gardens that have brood in them. Once the remaining brood develop in this garden, they will eventually stop cutting and farming

 

I've seen studies that show that the workers can live several years, though this isn't likely if they stop tending their fungus. I would recommend putting some Sunburst nectar/honey water/maple water in their outworld, as most leaf cutter workers in the wild actually derive their nutrition from the juices of leaves and extra-floral nectaries 

 

In the mean time, I would just try various plants and flowers from around where you live. Rose flowers (dry and fresh) are a particular favorite of mine. Generally, I have noticed that they prefer plants in the Rosaceae family (rose family) and the Fabaceae family (pea family), though they have accepted a wide variety of plants

 

 

 

Why did your brother give you a queenless atta colony? That sounds like a scam. Even if it was a colony fragment, there is a good chance the pheromones will change by the time you get the queen and they will fight.

 

It's still supremely interesting sans queen, is it not?

Edited by mmcguffi, October 5 2021 - 7:11 AM.

[antsinvirgina]

he gave me a queenless atta colony because he want's to test me to see if I am ready for a real colony

Edited by antsinvirgina, October 5 2021 - 7:11 AM.

[Antkeeper01]

ummmmmm arent you in VA?

[antsinvirgina]

ummmmmm arent you in VA?

yes 

[Kaelwizard]

ummmmmm arent you in VA?

Ants Emporium might be able to ship to VA. Not sure.

Yep, they can.

Edited by Kaelwizard, October 5 2021 - 10:47 AM.

[ANTdrew]

This brother is VenemousBeast, right?

[DDD101DDD]

Did he give you a little colony fragment to raise(no queen group) and then he'd replace it with a colony with a queen, or did he give you a colony without a queen and plans to give you just the queen to put with that colony?

[TennesseeAnts]

This brother is VenemousBeast, right?

That matches up, he's in North Mexico now. 

As for the original question, no, they will not continue to care for the fungus without a queen present. Usually it takes a bit for them to stop caring for it, but they will stop and the workers will die off. I also wouldn't illegally import an Atta texana queen into Virginia. It's just a bad idea. 

[antsinvirgina]

This brother is VenemousBeast, right?

yep

[antsinvirgina]

Did he give you a little colony fragment to raise(no queen group) and then he'd replace it with a colony with a queen, or did he give you a colony without a queen and plans to give you just the queen to put with that colony?

my brother gave me a fragment of a colony. and if I keep them alive for a long time my brother will send me a queen

[Manitobant]

I'm pretty sure sending a queen from mexico to the US is illegal, even if the species is native to the US. Not to mention the fact that he doesn’t have a selling permit like ants emporium does.

[Chickalo]

So this post just proves the illegal transport of Atta Texana between the USA and UMS and between their respective states?  Wow okay

[Kaelwizard]

So this post just proves the illegal transport of Atta Texana between the USA and UMS and between their respective states?  Wow okay

Not necessarily. He sent a workerless colony, which if I recall isn't illegal to do? What's to say he wasn't going to buy him a colony from Ants Emporium and have it ship to antsinvirginia's address as a gift? Couldn't that be possible?

[Antkeeper01]

 

So this post just proves the illegal transport of Atta Texana between the USA and UMS and between their respective states?  Wow okay

Not necessarily. He sent a workerless colony, which if I recall isn't illegal to do? What's to say he wasn't going to buy him a colony from Ants Emporium and have it ship to antsinvirginia's address as a gift? Couldn't that be possible?

 

well its still atta queenless colony or not and the 2 ant that are most hated by the usda are S. invicta and atta.

[DDD101DDD]

 

 

So this post just proves the illegal transport of Atta Texana between the USA and UMS and between their respective states?  Wow okay

Not necessarily. He sent a workerless colony, which if I recall isn't illegal to do? What's to say he wasn't going to buy him a colony from Ants Emporium and have it ship to antsinvirginia's address as a gift? Couldn't that be possible?

 

well its still atta queenless colony or not and the 2 ant that are most hated by the usda are S. invicta and atta.

 

Obviously they don't hate Atta that much because Ants Emporium has a selling permit.

[Chickalo]

 

So this post just proves the illegal transport of Atta Texana between the USA and UMS and between their respective states?  Wow okay

Not necessarily. He sent a workerless colony, which if I recall isn't illegal to do? What's to say he wasn't going to buy him a colony from Ants Emporium and have it ship to antsinvirginia's address as a gift? Couldn't that be possible?

 

I was more or less talking about the "my brother gave me a fragment of a colony. and if I keep them alive for a long time my brother will send me a queen," however you know, maybe long enough time for him to get a permit I dunno