4 replies to this topic

[rptraut]

I have identified some mystery ants that I have as Myrmica rubra, European Fire Ants.  I take it they are an invasive species that should not be released.  I think they aren't all that common around here, although I did find six small colonies while hunting for acorn ants this fall.  Seems they like to found colonies in acorns as well as walnuts.  I have already installed one larger colony in a founding formicarium and I would like to combine the other five into one colony in a larger formicarium.  I have no idea how many queens are in each acorn.  If I open up each acorn/walnut in the outworld will they all move into the formicarium and combine into one colony, or is it better to release them one at a time and let each colony stake out it's own nest space?   Perhaps they'll just have an all out war, I don't know.  Any tips will be appreciated.  I am excited to raise these ants as I see from videos that they are very animated and grow quickly.  I don't want to raise that many colonies, but I can't release them, so I would like to make them into one large colony.  Thanks for your help

[Chickalo]

Here's what I did:  Test tube go shake shake into outworld, ant go climb into nest with other colony.

Originally I connected it to a nest mate so pheromones mixed, kind of a waste of time.  Individual workers will get killed.  Entire colonies will merge.   Maybe.  I might've just been lucky so take it how you will.  So uh, yeah, now I have a 9 queen colony

[Manitobant]

It they were found in acorns, they likely aren’t rubra, but a native myrmica species of some kind. Rubra only really live in highly disturbed areas, and usually found by budding. This means that they probably won’t fuse if introduced together and will fight to the death.

[rptraut]

Okay, thanks
I'll get a positive ID before I do anything. Is there a native myrmica that is most common in southern Ontario?

[Antkeeper01]

Okay, thanks
I'll get a positive ID before I do anything. Is there a native myrmica that is most common in southern Ontario?

there are multilpe species of native myrmica in Ontario; Myrmica alaskensis, Myrmica americana, ect. Here's a map of the diversity of myrmica in the world, tap on Ontario. https://antmaps.org/...y&genus=Myrmica