18 replies to this topic

[cooIboyJ]

I caught a new queen ant at the park near my neighborhood. But since they are really tiny I have been putting their test tube in the outworld, but they have moved into the foil I put around the test tube.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

Pics.

[The_Gaming-gate]

Add some pictures, if I can’t identify the genus someone else will. Right now, you’re making them sound like house ants (Tapinoma) or rover ants (Brachymyrmex) considering those are usually what I mean when referring to “small ants”. But there are plenty of other things it could be, Lasius are still pretty small, so is S. molesta. I don’t have enough information to rule them out. Also, remove the foil and cover the test tube in DRY sand instead. The ants will move back into the moist test tube.

Edited by The_Gaming-gate, March 12 2024 - 4:18 AM.

[cooIboyJ]

Sorry, but I think I actually caught a female alate. But I found a different queen ant to make up for it. Except this queen is not moving in to the test tube, instead she is just sitting in the outworld, but the good thing is she has been laying a ton of eggs in the outworld.

Edited by cooIboyJ, March 12 2024 - 9:08 AM.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

DO not give the queen an outworld at this stage get the queen put her in the tube get the eggs with a feather and put it in the tube.

[cooIboyJ]

I caught her from a supercolony 

[cooIboyJ]

and she has around twenty five workers, so I don't know if I should put them into the test tube

Edited by cooIboyJ, March 12 2024 - 10:32 AM.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

Keep them in a tube and try to get more workers.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

If it is a tiny type of ant they should be in the tube until they have over 50+ workers.

[The_Gaming-gate]

If you got an alate, keep her. I paired my S. Invicta with a few males in a test tube, and now she has a dozen eggs. Try to find some more workers for the super colony queen.
Males will be dark and slim (pretty much tiny wasps). Go to a LARGE colony and kick down part of the nest to find males if they aren’t on the surface. Don’t break more of the nest than you need too.

Also, could you describe the ants some more? An estimate in millimeters, or their color would help out so we can identify your species.

Edited by The_Gaming-gate, March 12 2024 - 11:32 AM.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

Yes if you could find a few males and leave them alone for a little while she should be mated.

[cooIboyJ]

I couldn't find the alate

[antsriondel]

Please read this before posting a new thread in the ID section: https://www.formicul...t-a-new-thread/.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

I agree with @antsriondel and I don't know why I didn't say it earlier but we need more info

[cooIboyJ]

How many workers do you think I should have to move into a nest?

[cooIboyJ]

How many workers do you think I should have to move into a nest?

any answers?

[The_Gaming-gate]

How many workers do you think I should have to move into a nest?

It depends on the nest, but they are fine in the test tube until like 25 workers. The ants should be able to use up all chambers to prevent them from leaving their trash in the nest, which could cause fatal mold growth.

Edited by The_Gaming-gate, March 25 2024 - 1:29 PM.

[cooIboyJ]

They have around twenty-one workers and at least thirty larvea and ten eggs. Right now I plugged their test tube into an outworld so it will be easier to feed them because they were trying to escape.

Edited by cooIboyJ, March 25 2024 - 5:15 PM.

[The_Gaming-gate]

They have around twenty-one workers and at least thirty larvea and ten eggs. Right now I plugged their test tube into an outworld so it will be easier to feed them because they were trying to escape.

Great, that should work. Just make sure there are no decorations they can dig under. What are you feeding them? Do you have any pictures yet of the ants?