2 replies to this topic

[futurebird]

I have a very large Lasius neoniger colony. I also recently caught a Lasius aphidicola parasitic queen. I was able to use two workers and some pupae I collected (with minimal disruption) from another much larger Lasius aphidicola colony I found under a rock to get her set up with a worker who now seems to like her and some pupae. The guide here was a big help. I made a video about my process. 



However, after the long hot trip back from upstate NY I'm concerned that the pupae are too wet and might not be good. The queen and the worker are fine and groom each other and tend to the pupae a little, but not with the level of interest that makes me think they are still alive. So, in the back of my mind I'm thinking "how could I steal some pupae from my Lasius neoniger colony?"

History of the neoniger colony:


They have heaps and heaps of them... but they are not easy to access. Their nest is plaster with a small entrance and magnetic glass top. The top is very hard to slide, and really they are doing so well I hate to bother them. Maybe I'll go hunting in the park if the wet pupae don't mature...

But then I wondered if there was some way to get the pupae out of the nest with minimal disruption. When they were over crowded they would bring a few to the outworld... Maybe I could attach a tiny little "annex" nest and see if they would move some of their pupae in there... then chill and rob the small nest?

[That_one_ant_guy]

Hmmm maybe you could put a heating cable in the outworld, and since heat speeds up the pupating process they'll put them there?

[Manitobant]

Better yet, attach a test tube to the nest with tubing and put a heating cable under that.