5 replies to this topic

[Loops117]

I have never had a colony escape, but I have had a lasius formicarium for some time now with small holes big enough for the colony to escape. I’ve witnessed workers leaving the hole, and foraging in the bug cabinet on various scraps that are on the shelves. This has been sitting in my bug cabinet for a couple months, and the colony still resides in their formicarium.

Has anyone had a colony escape or even tested it? Has anyone left their lids off and put a whole formicarium in a container to see how long it takes for the queen to actually leave? IDK, but I feel that if the spot is good enough, the queen will stick around as long as she's not disturbed.

 

Thoughts?

[Mdrogun]

I have never had a colony escape, but I have had a lasius formicarium for some time now with small holes big enough for the colony to escape. I’ve witnessed workers leaving the hole, and foraging in the bug cabinet on various scraps that are on the shelves. This has been sitting in my bug cabinet for a couple months, and the colony still resides in their formicarium.

Has anyone had a colony escape or even tested it? Has anyone left their lids off and put a whole formicarium in a container to see how long it takes for the queen to actually leave? IDK, but I feel that if the spot is good enough, the queen will stick around as long as she's not disturbed.

 

Thoughts?

I had a sizeable colony of Tapinoma sessile escape once. It didn't take long at all. If the colony is large enough the ants will almost always find a nesting spot that is better than the one you're currently providing them.

[AntsBrazil]

I was thinking about leaving room to the workers leave the formicarium and forage outside, but don't leave enough room to the queen to get out, maybe with the Atta, that the queen is a lot bigger than the workers(even the super majors), probably that is a terrible idea, Idk.

[gcsnelling]

That would be a very irresponsible thing to do. Even larger species will vanish quickly. Several years ago there was a confirmed report of an Acromyrmex colony escaping and setting up residence under a floor in Germany.

[Antsinmycloset]

I can't remember who it was, but there was someone in the tropics with a free range ant colony. Still took care of feeding/watering the colony and such, but the outworld was, well, his tabletop. It seemed to be work fine. I believe it was either impossible or prohibitively difficult for the queen to escape, though.

I'd never risk doing it, especially with all the pesticides we use, but a part of me has always been interested in trying that.

[Alabama Anter]

I can't remember who it was, but there was someone in the tropics with a free range ant colony. Still took care of feeding/watering the colony and such, but the outworld was, well, his tabletop. It seemed to be work fine. I believe it was either impossible or prohibitively difficult for the queen to escape, though.

I'd never risk doing it, especially with all the pesticides we use, but a part of me has always been interested in trying that.

If I have $100,000 to spare I'm going to make a whole room dedicated to ants so like I'm going to have free roam ants and watch them have nuptial flights and their natural behavior. If you want to learn more about free range setups you can go to Gamergate.com great site btw.

I can't remember who it was, but there was someone in the tropics with a free range ant colony. Still took care of feeding/watering the colony and such, but the outworld was, well, his tabletop. It seemed to be work fine. I believe it was either impossible or prohibitively difficult for the queen to escape, though.

I'd never risk doing it, especially with all the pesticides we use, but a part of me has always been interested in trying that.

If I have $100,000 to spare I'm going to make a whole room dedicated to ants so like I'm going to have free roam ants and watch them have nuptial flights and their natural behavior. If you want to learn more about free range setups you can go to Gamergate.com great site btw.