10 replies to this topic

[Dustin808]

Howzit everyone! For a couple weeks now I have been binge watching ant videos on YouTube. Natural I have always been curious about nature and try to absorb anything I can. I'm very interested in raising a any colony of my own. I'm here to ask for advice along the way and of course share my experiences I will experience 😂. But my first question is what species would you guys keep? I have these available in my state http://www.hawaii.ed...tsInHawaii.html
I am not sure if these are all the species just what I've found searching the web. Aloha

[Alabama Anter]

Welcome from the deep south! There is another member here from Hawaii. His name is HawaiianAnter.

[T.C.]

Welcome to the forum. I personally always tell people, to keep whatever species you first come across. As a beginner you don't get to really choose what you want. It's not at all like looking for fish in a aquatic center. Only once advanced in the hobby do you begin to learn where and how to find certain species. When I first started, I just would walk on the side walk and hope to come across a queen.

However lasius species are some of the easiest from my experience. But, I am not sure how abundant the species would be there? Camponotous are pretty easy as well, but the species is very grow slowing so not really for anyone who is impatient. Really just keep an eye in the sky for nuptial flights and keep an eye to the ground for queens preparing to dig their founding chambers.

[Dustin808]

Thanks Bama that's good to hear! I appreciate the advice TC first I need to building a formicarium or order one. Does drew have the ones he builds forsale on here?

[T.C.]

Thanks Bama that's good to hear! I appreciate the advice TC first I need to building a formicarium or order one. Does drew have the ones he builds forsale on here?

He sells them as a small side cash deal. He sells on GAN and designed them formicariums to suit his own likings and preferences. He often sells them with the colonies on gan, but I do believe he would just sell his formicaria alone as well.
Also there is other sites that I like and you are getting what you paying for. Here is the two I recommend.

www.117colonies.com
www.anttopia.com

I personally like tar heel ants because they look so natural. However I am concerned with ventilation issues and potential cracking with his.

[dermy]

Thanks Bama that's good to hear! I appreciate the advice TC first I need to building a formicarium or order one. Does drew have the ones he builds forsale on here?

Welcome to the forum

 

For most people before they can put ants into a Formicarium you need to rear the first generation or two of workers. Usually in something small, like a test-tube setup or something similar. If you don't have test-tubes I've had relative success with pill bottles, just make sure you clean any residue from anything that was in it before. But for the most part, during the founding stage queens don't need much room/feel more comfortable in a smaller space. Also if you put in a small colony into a large Formicarium, they tend to make a mess of it, by using some of it as a "dump".

[Dustin808]

is it against the rules to take a queen from an already established colony in the wild? I have so many ants around my house I live on about 2 acres of dense forest. I've already done my scouting and found a couple of nest. One of them being the tropical fire aunt... I'm afraid lol 😅😅😅😅

[dermy]

is it against the rules to take a queen from an already established colony in the wild? I have so many ants around my house I live on about 2 acres of dense forest. I've already done my scouting and found a couple of nest. One of them being the tropical fire aunt... I'm afraid lol

From most people's experinces, taking larger colonies from the wild has two problems: 1- You risk the colony dying, since they don't "adapt" well to captivity. and 2- You loose out in the fun of starting a Colony from a single queen, sure it takes awhile to get first workers [fire ant colonies grow fairly fast though, they do sting so there's that issue] but it's a good learning experience. Teaches you that ant keeping requires "patience".

[T.C.]

is it against the rules to take a queen from an already established colony in the wild? I have so many ants around my house I live on about 2 acres of dense forest. I've already done my scouting and found a couple of nest. One of them being the tropical fire aunt... I'm afraid lol

Oh, no you can take a queen from a mature colony. That's your business. However it just doesn't work because you just split up the colony . The queen more than likely would die without the workers.Also chances of finding the queen are extremely small. Especially in a fire ant colony. It would more than likely end up in a painful, pointless battle, even if you got the queen. Best method of starting a colony is to catch a fertile queen after a nuptial flight and put her in a test tube setup.

[Dustin808]

Gotcha! I am off of work tomorrow and we're having a heavy rain today so I'll be waiting outside the nest to see who emerges👽.

[Alabama Anter]

I have dug up MANY colonies with any problems.