33 replies to this topic

[Shareallicu]

I don't think you need direct contact with AC, their formicariums are not any different than others. The simple answer is to keep the colony in a test tube until they reach at least 20 workers. Failure to do so will result in a lopsided humidity, and all of that unused space will only build mold and mites, not to mention the queen/colony will likely be dead before all this happens. There really is no reason why you'd move a small colony, let alone single queen, into a formicarium.

Well, by the time I get the nest, she will probably have at least 20 workers!  They said it could take over a month to send it out to me, so I wanted to get it before I needed it.

 

I understand everyone is concerned because we all love ants, but people are acting a little jumpy like my formica queen ant.  lol  The nest will take a lot of time to even reach me, and I'm not impatient to transfer her.  like I said, it will be her choice when it even arrives.  It will be sometime in the future still.     No worries!  i am new to keeping queens, but i'm not completely stupid (hopefully)!  I don't want to do anything rash that will cause her death.  Just because I ask a dumb question, doesn't mean I will do it lol     Especially after so much advice! 

Thanks for worrying about my ant everyone

Edited by Shareallicu, January 11 2017 - 12:18 AM.

[Serafine]

Afaik Formica ants like it more moist so there's a good chance she'll stay in the tube until it's overcrowded (or dried out). When they move they will most likely stay close to the nest sides (where the sponges are) but you should give them a gradient anyway (water one side only half as much as the other side) so they can choose where they want to be as different development stages (eggs, pupae) usually prefer different humidity levels.

Edited by Serafine, January 11 2017 - 12:27 AM.

[antgenius123]

+1 to Serafine

Edited by antgenius123, January 11 2017 - 10:00 AM.

[antgenius123]

If you want AntsCanada, here it is: http://forum.antscanada.com/

Don't expect anythng different though. Ant keeping is antkeeping , whatever formicarium you have.

[Alabama Anter]

If you want AntsCanada, here it is: http://forum.antscanada.com/
Don't expect anythng different though. Ant keeping is antkeeping , whatever formicarium you have.

Ummm... I would beg to differ... Formicaria matter so much in ant keeping. It's like life or death for ants. Get the wrong one, they die. For example, you have a Odontomachus brunneus colony that you moved in to a AntsCanada Solenopsis hybrid nest, they would have absolutely no space and would be in trouble. Formicaria matter so much.

[Batspiderfish]

 

If you want AntsCanada, here it is: http://forum.antscanada.com/
Don't expect anythng different though. Ant keeping is antkeeping , whatever formicarium you have.

Ummm... I would beg to differ... Formicaria matter so much in ant keeping. It's like life or death for ants. Get the wrong one, they die. For example, you have a Odontomachus brunneus colony that you moved in to a AntsCanada Solenopsis hybrid nest, they would have absolutely no space and would be in trouble. Formicaria matter so much.

 

All a formicarium needs to do is contain ants and provide a moisture gradient. I highly doubt Odontomachus would be short on space, especially with their small colony population (most species max out at 300, although there are exceptions.) All of AntsCanada's hybrid nests can be used interchangeably. However, it is their intention to provide specific conditions to specific ants. Even my first, terrible, home-made formicarium was sufficient to bring up my most successful colony, of Lasius umbratus.

Edited by Batspiderfish, January 11 2017 - 1:46 PM.

[MrILoveTheAnts]

 

If you want AntsCanada, here it is: http://forum.antscanada.com/
Don't expect anythng different though. Ant keeping is antkeeping , whatever formicarium you have.

Ummm... I would beg to differ... Formicaria matter so much in ant keeping. It's like life or death for ants. Get the wrong one, they die. For example, you have a Odontomachus brunneus colony that you moved in to a AntsCanada Solenopsis hybrid nest, they would have absolutely no space and would be in trouble. Formicaria matter so much.

 

I agree with the above statement but wouldn't I wouldn't say it's the end all be all problem. As long as the ants have adequate humidity and a clearly defined nesting area and foraging area they can live in pretty much anything. Setups don't have to be works of art, though it is desirable.

 

A simple petri dish connected to a container.

 

Wood cut out with a glass slide on top.

 

A small plastic pain on top a lining of crushed paper towel... actually wood but a crushed paper towel was how water was added to this one.

 

A down side to all of these setups is they require water to be added almost daily, and just the right amount at that. But all of these are healthy colonies.

Edited by MrILoveTheAnts, January 11 2017 - 3:52 PM.

[Kevin]

I think most members here can provide better information than the staff at AC can.

[Alabama Anter]

If you want AntsCanada, here it is: http://forum.antscanada.com/
Don't expect anythng different though. Ant keeping is antkeeping , whatever formicarium you have.

Ummm... I would beg to differ... Formicaria matter so much in ant keeping. It's like life or death for ants. Get the wrong one, they die. For example, you have a Odontomachus brunneus colony that you moved in to a AntsCanada Solenopsis hybrid nest, they would have absolutely no space and would be in trouble. Formicaria matter so much.

All a formicarium needs to do is contain ants and provide a moisture gradient. I highly doubt Odontomachus would be short on space, especially with their small colony population (most species max out at 300, although there are exceptions.) All of AntsCanada's hybrid nests can be used interchangeably. However, it is their intention to provide specific conditions to specific ants. Even my first, terrible, home-made formicarium was sufficient to bring up my most successful colony, of Lasius umbratus.

I meant that I don't think that Odontomachus brunneus can fit through the windy and small tunnels of the Hybrid nest

[Martialis]

 

 

 

If you want AntsCanada, here it is: http://forum.antscanada.com/
Don't expect anythng different though. Ant keeping is antkeeping , whatever formicarium you have.

Ummm... I would beg to differ... Formicaria matter so much in ant keeping. It's like life or death for ants. Get the wrong one, they die. For example, you have a Odontomachus brunneus colony that you moved in to a AntsCanada Solenopsis hybrid nest, they would have absolutely no space and would be in trouble. Formicaria matter so much.

All a formicarium needs to do is contain ants and provide a moisture gradient. I highly doubt Odontomachus would be short on space, especially with their small colony population (most species max out at 300, although there are exceptions.) All of AntsCanada's hybrid nests can be used interchangeably. However, it is their intention to provide specific conditions to specific ants. Even my first, terrible, home-made formicarium was sufficient to bring up my most successful colony, of Lasius umbratus.

I meant that I don't think that Odontomachus brunneus can fit through the windy and small tunnels of the Hybrid nest

 

 

They can.. It would take quite a wide ant not to.

[Martialis]

 

 

If you want AntsCanada, here it is: http://forum.antscanada.com/
Don't expect anythng different though. Ant keeping is antkeeping , whatever formicarium you have.

Ummm... I would beg to differ... Formicaria matter so much in ant keeping. It's like life or death for ants. Get the wrong one, they die. For example, you have a Odontomachus brunneus colony that you moved in to a AntsCanada Solenopsis hybrid nest, they would have absolutely no space and would be in trouble. Formicaria matter so much.

 

I agree with the above statement but wouldn't I wouldn't say it's the end all be all problem. As long as the ants have adequate humidity and a clearly defined nesting area and foraging area they can live in pretty much anything. Setups don't have to be works of art, though it is desirable.

 

A simple petri dish connected to a container.

 

Wood cut out with a glass slide on top.

 

A small plastic pain on top a lining of crushed paper towel... actually wood but a crushed paper towel was how water was added to this one.

 

A down side to all of these setups is they require water to be added almost daily, and just the right amount at that. But all of these are healthy colonies.

 

 

How did you make that petri dish formicarium?

[antgenius123]

 

If you want AntsCanada, here it is: http://forum.antscanada.com/
Don't expect anythng different though. Ant keeping is antkeeping , whatever formicarium you have.

Ummm... I would beg to differ... Formicaria matter so much in ant keeping. It's like life or death for ants. Get the wrong one, they die. For example, you have a Odontomachus brunneus colony that you moved in to a AntsCanada Solenopsis hybrid nest, they would have absolutely no space and would be in trouble. Formicaria matter so much.

 

No I meant the answer's she's receiving. She wanted a direct response from AntsCanada but they would have given her the same advice as everyone did here. (Read the previous comments)

[MichiganAnts]

in general, ALWAYS hibernated the first year in a test tube. after that when you get ~20 workers then you can leave the tube in the formicarium's outworld and let them chose if they want to move or not.

[Serafine]

I meant that I don't think that Odontomachus brunneus can fit through the windy and small tunnels of the Hybrid nest

They'd probably get issues with the smaller species nests like the Tetramorium one. But then there's also a Camponotus version.