46 replies to this topic

[Loops117]

 

In my experience queens are usually atleast 1-2 feet down. Atleast. Scooping ants at the surface under a rock is not very successful. The ants put brood under a warm rock to incubate it. The queen is usually deeper. What may look like a small colony above ground may travel many feet down

This really depends on the particular species, as I have in my own experience [literally just this year and it's barely spring] lifted up a rock and under the rock was a queen [Myrmica] although they have multiple queens.

 

I was hoping this could happen. I'm gonna be redoing my front garden, and just from 4 of the 30+ boulders i moved, 3 had colonies under them. Was hoping that if i couldn't get a queen, i could at least put them into a farm.

[Crystals]

If just for watching, then there is no problem.

 

I would pick a weekend, and go out around 10am on a sunny day.  Many of the Formica/Myrmica species will have the queens come up just beneath the surface of dirt, wood, or rocks while trying to warm up in the morning.  Later in the day, they move lower as they are warm enough.

I have done this many times, and even have a video in the handy links thread showing me finding (I think) 2 lone queens and 4 coloneis with a queen within 2 hours of searching.

[Loops117]

If just for watching, then there is no problem.

 

I would pick a weekend, and go out around 10am on a sunny day.  Many of the Formica/Myrmica species will have the queens come up just beneath the surface of dirt, wood, or rocks while trying to warm up in the morning.  Later in the day, they move lower as they are warm enough.

I have done this many times, and even have a video in the handy links thread showing me finding (I think) 2 lone queens and 4 coloneis with a queen within 2 hours of searching.

 

Thank you. i will be doing this for sure. I've been working on a black light setup that Drew started a thread for. In the mean time i've been searching for flying ants, as well as queens poking about trying to find a new spot. I've turned up rocks that didn't need to move, and felt bad immediately after for disturbing a colony with no caught queen (so i resorted to just stuff i'll be moving). Since you have proven that this works, i'll arm myself with some sort of cup for each rock i turn up.

 

Lastly, in ordering Test tubes from Ebay, i've come across tubes made of plastic, glass, and boro. Does any of these make a difference? Was gonna go cheap route and get plastic so they can survive falls and other mishaps.

[Crystals]

There is a thread discussing this somewhere on this forum.

Glass or Borosilicate are the best, several people agreed that plastic was more prone to water leaks.

 

For collecting ants under a rock, I suggest a small shovel/spoon - I like to use featherweigth forceps to grab the queen(s) and a dust buster to collect the workers/brood.

[Loops117]

What would i be doing that holds water? I was only using these for new queens.

[Crystals]

Oh, just for transport you can use anything - I personally use those little paint containers that you can buy 9 for $1 at the dollar store.

 

I was referring to the typical test tube setup with water behind the cotton.

[dspdrew]

This thread has the best places to get some of these things.

 

http://www.formicult...rchasing-guide/

[Loops117]

Almost certain these ants are Lasius umbratus or flavus.

This brings me to a really good question. Anyone have luck keeping these things? It's said they farm aphids, will they eat anything else? I'm gonna make a small homemade home for them to see how it goes.

 

Friggen science. i love it.

[Loops117]

Built a Panera cup ant farm for them.

 

Inside view of cups before i put the platform in.

 

Video shortly after i put the colony in.

[Crystals]

There are quite a few journals for Lasius umbratus and flavus out there.  They may farm aphids like some Formica do, but they are not dependant on them like some species are.  Sufficient sugar water or hummingbird nectar would suffice.

 

The cup farm will work for workers, with a great view, but on a side note, it is not advisable for a colony with a queen.  Inside the Handy Links link in my signature, is a link to pictures of other people's formicariums for an idea of different nests for your future colonies.

[Loops117]

The cup farm is just a temporary fix for my curiosity. I picked up a tub of grout, and always wet clay (as your How-To video instructed) not too long ago, but i have not tried making a formicarium yet.

 

So far i've offered some table scraps to see if they take anything. Organic banana nut bread, organic white frosting, and some raw honey. I'll whip up a batch of sugar water/nectar for them when i get home.

[Crystals]

In the Handy links thread is a list of preferred foods that people have tried for various species (See my signature).  Small colonies are very fussy as they do not need much food, so your results may vary. 

Think about for a minute, their stomach is so small and they do not use that much energy; they are the kind of insect that can go 2 weeks without additional food after a good feeding.  I have seen my own young colonies refuse to forage for a week after a good feed (in the colonies mind: why risk loosing a worker when there is no real gain?).

 

I had very good luck with greasy cooked chicken or canned chicken as a treat, and almot any sweet juice or hummingbird nectar.  I tend to feed insects as the norm, and have hummingbird nectar available 24/7.

 

Take pictures and notes of your grout attempts, I love to see how other people do it.

[Loops117]

I havent done much research on the required food other then searching "Lasius" in the forums and finding only this thread. I'm gonna bust out the microscope so i can figure out which species this is. If i can get them to adjust to the captive life and food, i'd like to add the queen to an already esablished group of workers. I've read so far that Lasius queens are parisitic and will steal colonies if i'm correct, so this seems like a possibility. This is also in hopes that i catch a lasius queen, although they are the most dominant species around my house.

 

As for the formicarium. I will take pictures. I'm excited to build it, just have yet to get the proper housing for them.

[Mads]

Some Lasius species are parasitic, not all species are though. 

 

Mads

[Loops117]

I did read that. The species i believe i'm working with is Flavus, which from what i've read isn't parasitic, but will accept a parasitic queen.

 

Well, a parasitic queen will steal their colony.

Edited by Loops117, April 26 2016 - 11:26 AM.

[Loops117]

Checked last night and it appeared that all the raw honey was gone. I only put a small dab on a dish, and it had a little dirt over it from the ants. Is this something i would/should start a small thread about? My queenless Lasius colony?

[Crystals]

If they covered the honey with dirt, then they are obviously foraging.  Many ants cover sweets with dirt so other colonies don't discover it - it is nothing to worry about.

 

The queenless Lasius colony is likely not going to last for more than a year or so, so you can keep using this thread if you like.

[Loops117]

Ok, foraging is good. I added some more honey. Instead of the Manuka Raw Honey, i went with some Organic Orange Blossom honey and after 10 hours, they havent touched it.

 

Heres an updated video.

I put the half cup on the bottom for when i put my cell phone light underneath. All the tunnels illuminate.

 

As for my colony. Would it be bad if i added brood as time went on? I'm almost certain the Lasius colony that's under all the rocks i moved are of the same colony. Which leads me to believe the same is throughout the rest of the rocks around the area. I added the one worker to the other cup as you instructed and they had no beef with each other for some time. So, i added both colonies together in this cup and they immediately started working together and put the brood together. 

Edited by Loops117, April 28 2016 - 6:34 AM.

[LC3]

Adding brood from different colonies will work and ants will usually accept it (As long as they're the same species of course). However evidence points to that a colony scent is constantly changing as a whole and it is likely that the workers you have right now will not share the same scent as their original parent colony as time goes on. (This doesn't affect brood)

[Loops117]

Not sure if that's a good thing or not. If possible, i'd like for this colony to sort of lose its self anyway. I'm hoping that a parasitic queen will eventually be in control of these workers. I'm positive i have either Lasius Flavus or Lasius Umbratus, with flavus being non parasitic. If i am able to find a Parasitic Lasius queen, i will try to get the queen to cover herself in the colony scent. Internet said they kill a lone worker for the scent, then infiltrate the colony from there. Do you think she'll do the same if i pair one of my colony workers with a new queen in a test tube while she's starting out? I know I'm jumping the gun a little, and talking about what-ifs. But do you think this can be done?

Edited by Loops117, April 29 2016 - 4:51 AM.