5 replies to this topic

[AntsAreUs]

Just caught Formica aserva today with 5 of her workers! Hopefully they do ok. I also caught a queen of their host sp. but I don't know what it's called.

 

Actually I've been doing some research and studying and figured out that it's possibly F. rubicunda but still trying to figure out what the host was because I can't find anything.

Edited by Gaige Daughtrey, August 15 2014 - 3:37 PM.

[Gregory2455]

Very nice, is this going to be her journal?/ Are you making a journal at all?

[Crystals]

Nice, I have had Formica aserva in the past.  Takes them 2 years or so to really get going.

Fairly fast growing and pretty aggressive.  They eat almost anything and love sweets and any kind of insect.

They have the best eyesight of any ant I have encountered in Alberta.  They see me just fine at 10-15 feet. If you make sure your shadow doesn't fall across them, they will be much more relaxed.  They also tend to like heat in one corner of their formicarium, more so than most Formica I have kept.

 

Best of luck with your two new queens!

[AntsAreUs]

Very nice, is this going to be her journal?/ Are you making a journal at all?

I will try to keep a eye out for them and make a journal of them but I also have school so I only get on in the afternoons also I check it daily so I will also reply to anybody.

[AntsAreUs]

Nice, I have had Formica aserva in the past.  Takes them 2 years or so to really get going.

Fairly fast growing and pretty aggressive.  They eat almost anything and love sweets and any kind of insect.

They have the best eyesight of any ant I have encountered in Alberta.  They see me just fine at 10-15 feet. If you make sure your shadow doesn't fall across them, they will be much more relaxed.  They also tend to like heat in one corner of their formicarium, more so than most Formica I have kept.

 

Best of luck with your two new queens!

How long will it take for them to lay eggs because it does not look like there is any eggs. All my test tubes with queens in them for some reason have a little bit of water at there feat but I don't know why. Also forgot to mention that is the reason I have always wanted a colony of these ants because there so aggressive in which I've seen in the wild but I didn't know they have eyesight!

Edited by Gaige Daughtrey, August 14 2014 - 12:53 PM.

[Crystals]

I caught mine just after they flew.  I boosted them with a dozen Formica podzolica.  They won't lay eggs until after their first hibernation (typical parasitic queen).

The 5 workers, are they the host or her workers?

 

The water shouldn't be there.  You may need a thicker/tighter cotton plug for the water.  I find if the water heats and then cools, or cools and then heats, it causes the water to leak.  This is why most people keep the heating cables near the front of the tube.