9 replies to this topic

[Works4TheGood]

1. Do nuptial flights ever happen at night? Is there any value in looking for queens at night?

2. I've seen some ridiculously tiny ants with wings lately; ants so small that make my solenopsis molesta queen appear large. Does anyone bother keeping species such as these?

3. My queens have a habit of dying in their test tube setups. How common of a problem is this in general? Maybe they incurred injury during their capture?

4. Do larger queens tend to be more robust than those of smaller species?

5. Do smaller ant species have proportionally smaller tunnels and chambers? Or do the diameters generally increase as the colony grows in number?

6. How long will a new parasitic queen survive without a host? Will they ever lay eggs in the absence of a host? How long after capture should they be given their host?

7. How many of you folks regulate humidity in your formicariums using a hygrometer? I'd imagine that most do since different species prefer different humidity levels.

8. Should the formicarium have a reduced temperature at night?

9. If my solenopsis molesta queen escapes her enclosure, will she become a living pest inside my home? If so, maybe it's better to try a different species instead?

10. How long do lasius cacoons take to hatch at around 80 degrees? How can I know of they're alive or dead? What are the signs?

11. Humidity is of vital importance in maintaining a proper formicarium, but is it also essential that they be able to also drink while in their nest? Has anyone had formicariums that provided good humidity, but didn't allow the ant to drink from the source of that humidity?

12. In nature, do parasitic queens occasionally fail to kill the host queen? Are there cases where the colony fights back and wins?

13. Has anyone ever tried keeping termites?

14. What is the average life expectancy of queen kept as a pet under the care of a competent ant-keeper?

15. Do ant-keepers have to control the colony's population by limiting resources, or do such colonies simply tend not to get very large in captivity without considerable effort?

16. Do grout formicariums offer any advantages over hydrostone formicariums?

17. Why don't folks with grout/hydrostone/Ytong formicariums just keep the formicarium propped up in a bed of water instead of using a water reservoir built into the formicarium itself? Wouldn't this provide a more consistent and longer lasting water supply, be easier to refill, and be more obvious when more water is needed?

 

18. Have there been any successful cases of ants breeding in captivity?  It would be really cool if we could breed ants that are more resilient to our accommodations instead of tweaking our accommodations to more closely mimic the needs of the ants.

 

-Dan

Edited by Works4TheGood, August 13 2015 - 7:25 AM.

[LC3]

Haha That's a lot of questions
I'm going to try answering some of them. (But you can still ask other members)

1) yes some ants have flights at night, a lot of them are usually small secies. Some ants are even nocturnal.
2) that's 100% up to you if you want to keep them.
3/4)depends some ants just have a tendency to die. Size doesn't play a big roll.
5) If your talking about soil nesters smaller species have smaller chambers usually. Others like acorn ants live in an acorn.
6) If they have the proper equipment than parasitics can survive for a decen time but they won't lay eggs without a host.
7)I don't know. Go ask them folks.
8) That doesn't seem a common practice (here at least) but you can if you want.
9)there's always a probability that she can do that. It depends if you want to keep her.
10)I have no clue how long it takes for Lasy cocoons to hatch maybe it even varies by species. I think the only way to tell if they're dead is if a) the queen throws them away, 2) they have signs of physical damage (i.e ripped apart) or c) if they never eclose.. Ever.

Edited by LC3, August 12 2015 - 7:44 PM.

[Gregory2455]

1. Do nuptial flights ever happen at night? Is there any value in looking for queens at night?

2. I've seen some ridiculously tiny ants with wings lately; ants so small that make my solenopsis molesta queen appear large. Does anyone bother keeping species such as these?

3. My queens have a habit of dying in their test tube setups. How common of a problem is this in general? Maybe they incurred injury during their capture?

4. Do larger queens tend to be more robust than those of smaller species?

5. Do smaller ant species have proportionally smaller tunnels and chambers? Or do the diameters generally increase as the colony grows in number?

6. How long will a new parasitic queen survive without a host? Will they ever lay eggs in the absence of a host? How long after capture should they be given their host?

7. How many of you folks regulate humidity in your formicariums using a hygrometer? I'd imagine that most do since different species prefer different humidity levels.

8. Should the formicarium have a reduced temperature at night?

9. If my solenopsis molesta queen escapes her enclosure, will she become a living pest inside my home? If so, maybe it's better to try a different species instead?

10. How long do lasius cacoons take to hatch at around 80 degrees? How can I know of they're alive or dead? What are the signs?

11. Humidity is of vital importance in maintaining a proper formicarium, but is it also essential that they be able to also drink while in their nest? Has anyone had formicariums that provided good humidity, but didn't allow the ant to drink from the source of that humidity?

-Dan

1. Yes, yes yes! And take a black light trap too!

2. They could be something like Cardiocondyla which are actually pretty cool. I keep any and all queens I catch.

3. I lose about 1/3rd of all my queens. This is normal.

4. Larger species in many ways are less robust. Camponotus queens for example often damage themselves landing after mating because they are so heavy.

5. Smaller ants generally have smaller tunnels but it really depends on the species.

6. In my experience with Formica ravida and Solenopsis amblychila, parasitic queens die anywhere from 3-7 days after capture without any hosts.

7. I do not.

8. No.

9. Solenopsis molesta can be real pests in houses, but if there is an escape you are likely to notice before the workers move the queen.

10. One or two weeks. 

11. Drinking water can be given through a liquid feeder or a wet ball of cotton in the foraging container.

[Works4TheGood]

Ever since I'd captured 10 parasitic Lasius queens and lost them all within 1-3 weeks, I'd been feeling very discouraged. Especially since I'm brand new to the hobby. However, now that I know that losing 1/3 of queens in test tube setups is normal, and that parasitic queens only generally survive 1 or 2 weeks without a host, I can rationalize the reasons for the failures. You've just given me some critical information!!!

[Gregory2455]

You generally lose 1/9-1/3 queens in any setup- not just test tube.

[William. T]

You should wait for labor Day for it's annual "downpour" of Lasius Neoniger. Can't miss it. Queens and drones are flying in thick clouds, they cover everything. Lassius are the best beginner species, calm, harmless, and not too small, with a healthy brood rate.

[Works4TheGood]

You should wait for labor Day for it's annual "downpour" of Lasius Neoniger. Can't miss it. Queens and drones are flying in thick clouds, they cover everything. Lassius are the best beginner species, calm, harmless, and not too small, with a healthy brood rate.

I will definitely do that!  In the interim, I'm gonna practice with the species that are currently available.  Maybe I'll have some luck.  If not, I'll wait for Lasius Neoniger before giving up entirely.

[Works4TheGood]

So here are the questions that I'm still looking for feedback on.

 

7. How many of you folks regulate humidity in your formicariums using a hygrometer? I'd imagine that most do since different species prefer different humidity levels.

11. Humidity is of vital importance in maintaining a proper formicarium, but is it also essential that they be able to also drink while in their nest? Has anyone had formicariums that provided good humidity, but didn't allow the ant to drink from the source of that humidity?

12. In nature, do parasitic queens occasionally fail to kill the host queen? Are there cases where the colony fights back and wins?

13. Has anyone ever tried keeping termites?

14. What is the average life expectancy of queen kept as a pet under the care of a competent ant-keeper?

15. Do ant-keepers have to control the colony's population by limiting resources, or do such colonies simply tend not to get very large in captivity without considerable effort?

16. Do grout formicariums offer any advantages over hydrostone formicariums?

17. Why don't folks with grout/hydrostone/Ytong formicariums just keep the formicarium propped up in a bed of water instead of using a water reservoir built into the formicarium itself? Wouldn't this provide a more consistent and longer lasting water supply, be easier to refill, and be more obvious when more water is needed?

 

18. Have there been any successful cases of ants breeding in captivity?  It would be really cool if we could breed ants that are more resilient to our accommodations instead of tweaking our accommodations to more closely mimic the needs of the ants.

Edited by Works4TheGood, August 13 2015 - 7:25 AM.

[dspdrew]

7. How many of you folks regulate humidity in your formicariums using a hygrometer? I'd imagine that most do since different species prefer different humidity levels.
 
I don't think it's necessary to be that precise. It would be nice, but not needed in my opinion.


10. How long do lasius cacoons take to hatch at around 80 degrees? How can I know of they're alive or dead? What are the signs?
 
Being from California, I don't know much at all about Lasius. In general, the queen will usually move dead pupae away from her healthy brood.
 

11. Humidity is of vital importance in maintaining a proper formicarium, but is it also essential that they be able to also drink while in their nest? Has anyone had formicariums that provided good humidity, but didn't allow the ant to drink from the source of that humidity?
 
I've never been completely clear on whether or not ants need to be able to drink water directly, or if they can get it by other means. I'm also not sure how wet something needs to be in order for them to drink from it. I have just always given them something they could clearly drink plenty of water from.
 

12. In nature, do parasitic queens occasionally fail to kill the host queen? Are there cases where the colony fights back and wins?
 
I know very little about parasitic queens.
 

13. Has anyone ever tried keeping termites?
 
Yes, I have a few subterranean termite colonies.


14. What is the average life expectancy of queen kept as a pet under the care of a competent ant-keeper?
 
Not sure. The average would probably not mean much anyways, since there is such a huge range to start with, depending on the species.


15. Do ant-keepers have to control the colony's population by limiting resources, or do such colonies simply tend not to get very large in captivity without considerable effort?
 
I don't have enough experience to give a good answer for that. I'm pretty sure they will get as large as they do in the wild, given the proper resources and environment. Most of my colonies have not gotten very large (yet), even though I've given them as much as I can. It might take years for this to happen, and I've only been keeping ants for three years.


16. Do grout formicariums offer any advantages over hydrostone formicariums?
 
I have no experience with grout formicariums. I will say that Hydrostone expands quite a bit when cured, while grout doesn't, so that could be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on the application.


17. Why don't folks with grout/hydrostone/Ytong formicariums just keep the formicarium propped up in a bed of water instead of using a water reservoir built into the formicarium itself? Wouldn't this provide a more consistent and longer lasting water supply, be easier to refill, and be more obvious when more water is needed?
 
It sure would, and I have done that before. The one main problem with what you described though, is when the water is open to the air it evaporates very fast, especially for people who live in dryer areas like me. Also, when moving the formicarium, water might splash out and make a mess. For these reasons, I prefer to make a little more elaborate hydration systems.
 

18. Have there been any successful cases of ants breeding in captivity?  It would be really cool if we could breed ants that are more resilient to our accommodations instead of tweaking our accommodations to more closely mimic the needs of the ants.
 
Yes, but rarely. It depends on the species and whether you know what you are doing. The conventional wisdom is that it cannot be done, but it actually has been done before, and is done annually by one of the members of this forum--Retroman. I've been meaning to make this information into a separate thread, but for now you can read about how he did it here (http://www.formicult...-5-2015/?p=5708). That journal of mine is actually on queens that he bred in his home. I've never found a fertile queen of this species in the wild before; I've only gotten them from him.
 
I too have bred ants in captivity, only I did it unintentionally. I collected a bunch of Lasius brood and alates last year, and later that evening they started swarming in the container. This was most likely due to the high temperatures in my apartment, and the fact that it had rained on them the day before. The next morning, half of the females had removed their wings, so I put them in test tubes. It turned out that a few of them were fertile and produced workers.

[William. T]

So here are the questions that I'm still looking for feedback on.

 

7. How many of you folks regulate humidity in your formicariums using a hygrometer? I'd imagine that most do since different species prefer different humidity levels.

11. Humidity is of vital importance in maintaining a proper formicarium, but is it also essential that they be able to also drink while in their nest? Has anyone had formicariums that provided good humidity, but didn't allow the ant to drink from the source of that humidity?

12. In nature, do parasitic queens occasionally fail to kill the host queen? Are there cases where the colony fights back and wins?

13. Has anyone ever tried keeping termites?

14. What is the average life expectancy of queen kept as a pet under the care of a competent ant-keeper?

15. Do ant-keepers have to control the colony's population by limiting resources, or do such colonies simply tend not to get very large in captivity without considerable effort?

16. Do grout formicariums offer any advantages over hydrostone formicariums?

17. Why don't folks with grout/hydrostone/Ytong formicariums just keep the formicarium propped up in a bed of water instead of using a water reservoir built into the formicarium itself? Wouldn't this provide a more consistent and longer lasting water supply, be easier to refill, and be more obvious when more water is needed?

 

18. Have there been any successful cases of ants breeding in captivity?  It would be really cool if we could breed ants that are more resilient to our accommodations instead of tweaking our accommodations to more closely mimic the needs of the ants.

Parasitic queens sometimes fail to kill the hosts, but that is rare. Maybe a 30% chance they fail in the wild, a 70% in captivity. I have seen Lasius Neoniger queens dismember parasitic Lasius, or the parasites don't have the approval of the workers. Only one of the parasitic Lasius I introduced out of three was successful, although in nature this is different. The parasite died shortly after.

 

I keep some termite cultures from colonies I collect from the wild. The nymphs inside turn into reproductives. However, getting a colony out of alates is very hard.

 

I don't know about others, but I for one, limit the protein for most of my colonies to slow down brood growth, as well as keeping them in my cool basement. This has no harm and I believe takes some of the egg laying stress of the queen out.

 

As for adding a pool of water in the formicarium instead of regular hydration, a. the water will seep through and flood the ants, b. it will become clogged and stagnant inside, develop microbes you don't want. Add that to the ant waste and food inside the nest, with the enclosed space and brood, you get a plague.

 

I think someone German had bred some of his ants, but I don't know of any other success stories. Besides, since their are so many laws surrounding ants, what good will a captive strain of ant's do?