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Posted June 8 2016 - 10:33 AM
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Posted June 8 2016 - 11:27 AM
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It takes persistence to find queens. Be sure to look for them in parks or other wilderness on warm days following rain.
If you've enjoyed using my expertise and identifications, please do not create undue ecological risk by releasing your ants. The environment which we keep our pet insects is alien and oftentimes unsanitary, so ensure that wild populations stay safe by giving your ants the best care you can manage for the rest of their lives, as we must do with any other pet.
Exotic ants are for those who think that vibrant diversity is something you need to pay money to see. It is illegal to transport live ants across state lines.
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Black lives still matter.
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Posted June 8 2016 - 11:48 AM
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Tetramorium is flying everywhere right now, if you get up before 9:00 AM you can usually find a few queens wandering around on the pavement pretty much everywhere.
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Posted June 8 2016 - 2:49 PM
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I've seen Tetramorium in Eugene, OR; Vancouver, WA; and Spokane, WA pretty much every morning this past week--not everywhere on the same day, of course. Anywhere with a good mix of green space and concrete should work well.
Edited by camtheecologist, June 8 2016 - 2:50 PM.
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Posted June 8 2016 - 6:12 PM
We're barely into the anting season... 
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Posted June 9 2016 - 8:44 PM
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I thought it was about over for interesting species in the south that is. Still waiting on Pogonomyrmex to fly but i think that is about it and some have allready.We're barely into the anting season...
IMHO of course.
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Posted June 10 2016 - 12:32 AM
Well the southwest desert species haven't even started flying yet. This doesn't happen until the monsoon season starts.
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Posted June 10 2016 - 6:53 PM
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Well, not to be rude or mean or anything. But if you (or anyone else) gives up that early finding queens, its definitely not a good hobby for you. Ant keeping (I've said this in another thread too recently, fits even better here) is highly about patience. If can't have the patience for even finding an ant queen, keeping them takes even more patience.
A lot of patience to find the queen, patience to get a good colony going and patience with dealing with multiple queens (or even colonies) dying.
Definitely not a good hobby to get into, if you just give up before finding a queen. Like, there was one entire year where I literally found 0 queens at all (this was when I was younger though, and I still didn't really know much about keeping ants), even though I looked every day. It happens, but I still kept trying to find a queen. A lot of it is also learning what to look for when finding queens, flipping over a lot of rocks, knowing areas where they likely will be. So a lot of it is learning too.
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Posted June 10 2016 - 8:27 PM
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Well, not to be rude or mean or anything. But if you (or anyone else) gives up that early finding queens, its definitely not a good hobby for you. Ant keeping (I've said this in another thread too recently, fits even better here) is highly about patience. If can't have the patience for even finding an ant queen, keeping them takes even more patience.
A lot of patience to find the queen, patience to get a good colony going and patience with dealing with multiple queens (or even colonies) dying.
Definitely not a good hobby to get into, if you just give up before finding a queen. Like, there was one entire year where I literally found 0 queens at all (this was when I was younger though, and I still didn't really know much about keeping ants), even though I looked every day. It happens, but I still kept trying to find a queen. A lot of it is also learning what to look for when finding queens, flipping over a lot of rocks, knowing areas where they likely will be. So a lot of it is learning too.
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Posted June 11 2016 - 2:37 AM
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Good luck with your quest, Montana is only marginally more boring than NE Arkansux when it comes to interesting ants.
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Posted June 11 2016 - 5:24 AM
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Actually, I'm not a newbie when it comes to myrmecology. Although it's been a very long time since I was into the hobby, I've kept L. Niger, Camponotus Modoc and Camp. Herculeanus, among others. I'm very seasoned with all the queen-finding techniques. I live in Montana, so we don't have as many species as the warmer climates have, to be sure, which makes finding queens slightly more difficult. I was probably keeping colonies before you were born lol.
Well, not to be rude or mean or anything. But if you (or anyone else) gives up that early finding queens, its definitely not a good hobby for you. Ant keeping (I've said this in another thread too recently, fits even better here) is highly about patience. If can't have the patience for even finding an ant queen, keeping them takes even more patience.
A lot of patience to find the queen, patience to get a good colony going and patience with dealing with multiple queens (or even colonies) dying.
Definitely not a good hobby to get into, if you just give up before finding a queen. Like, there was one entire year where I literally found 0 queens at all (this was when I was younger though, and I still didn't really know much about keeping ants), even though I looked every day. It happens, but I still kept trying to find a queen. A lot of it is also learning what to look for when finding queens, flipping over a lot of rocks, knowing areas where they likely will be. So a lot of it is learning too.
I live in Central Alberta, which is further north of Montana, so far I have found a few different species already this year. Just have to keep looking, usually the minute you stop looking so closely is when they pop out at you. Good luck and keep looking.
Mads
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Posted June 11 2016 - 6:22 AM
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Actually, I'm not a newbie when it comes to myrmecology. Although it's been a very long time since I was into the hobby, I've kept L. Niger, Camponotus Modoc and Camp. Herculeanus, among others. I'm very seasoned with all the queen-finding techniques. I live in Montana, so we don't have as many species as the warmer climates have, to be sure, which makes finding queens slightly more difficult. I was probably keeping colonies before you were born lol.
If it is of any help, I found two different newly flown Formica yesterday. I also found several entire Myrmica colonies with the queen while flipping over rocks and wood in a sand/grass area.
The flights seem so odd this year after the early spring and heat waves. I found 3 more C. herculeanus yesterday as well.
I always find more queens while trying to tidy up the yard and picking stuff up than when I search the sidewalks... 
"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astound the rest." -- Samuel Clemens
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Posted June 11 2016 - 7:34 AM
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I've only had 1 queen which was last year and she didn't survive. I found her on the sidewalk just sitting there. I knew she'd probably die but no loss in providing some honey water to see if she would recover, never did. I've found zero this year despite looking every day when I walk my dog.
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Posted June 11 2016 - 9:58 AM
Good luck with your quest, Montana is only marginally more boring than NE Arkansux when it comes to interesting ants.
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