5 replies to this topic

[Enderz]

My idea is to make a colony where the queen stays in my captivity and the ants go outside normaly. I won't be working on this for a while but will come back to it when i am more experienced maybe. Just an idea and if you have any sudgestions  please tell me!

[drtrmiller]

The idea here, is that if the queen can't fit through the entrance, then you'll have a captive colony, perfectly observable, able to forage as it would in nature.

A fat queen may not fit through the entrance, but what about tiny eggs and larvae? What will happen when the workers discover a superior nest site outside the artificial formicarium?

Incipient (young/immature) colonies usually thrive only when in close proximity to a reliable food source. What if the necessary foods are too far to be found? What if much larger colonies of aggressive ants discover your small colony?

Though many people have considered this arrangement, there is an exhaustive list of reasons why it will only end in failure.

[kellakk]

Subverted has a colony that he "free-ranges" like this.  As far as I know, it's doing well. However, this only works if you have a large enough size difference between queens and workers so that the queen is excluded from leaving. Also, as drtrmiller said, colonies need constant access to food, so you would need to ensure that the foraging workers find food easily.

[Enderz]

Yes this is only an idea because I can't do it (I live in an apartment)

[Pyrosmog]

I've wondered quite a bit about this. Could you use other measures to deter the queen from leaving? Such as distance, light or heat(or lack there of)? Perhaps a combination. If doing this I would personally opt for a natural like formicarium of dirt in a terrarium. My bet is that if you let the ants build their own nest they would be less likely to leave. You could heat the bottom so that they have a nice temperature gradient.

[Mdrogun]

I've wondered quite a bit about this. Could you use other measures to deter the queen from leaving? Such as distance, light or heat(or lack there of)? Perhaps a combination. If doing this I would personally opt for a natural like formicarium of dirt in a terrarium. My bet is that if you let the ants build their own nest they would be less likely to leave. You could heat the bottom so that they have a nice temperature gradient.

Even if you do everything in your power to make their nest perfect they ants would probably still end up nesting outside of your formicarium. Small changes in your nest (humidity, vibrations, light, heat) would make other nests more suitable for the ants and they would be quick to respond. The dirt is a good idea but I don't think its foolproof. I would only try this method on colonies you are not afraid to lose.