27 replies to this topic

[Chromerust]

When I starting collecting ants, I was so sure water was the best way to move ants. I WAS WRONG. It almost always ended up in disaster. I'm not suggesting it's impossible, but my experience was ants will stay there and drown. I will always advise against it and never attempt this again. Nice try though, I felt bad after I messed up a nest for nothing too. Sometimes I'll feed the Californicus in the field next door to me. They love goldfish pellets.

[drtrmiller]

DIfferent ants respond differently to various techniques when attempting to force them from one location to another.

 

Solenopsis invicta, for example, evolved along river banks and exhibits a great emergency evacuation response when water starts creeping into their nest.  I had a small colony in a plant bin outside that I retrieved by slowly flooding the bin, for example.

[Foogoo]

I thought of using water because anytime I water near an Argentine ant colony, even if it's just a little water, they seem to swarm out with eggs, larvae and pupae in tow. I once did encounter a Pogonomyrmex colony at this same location moving brood for no apparent reason, of course I didn't think of any reason to catch any at that time.

[dspdrew]

I dug up Pogonomyrmex brood last year. I did this at a really sandy park where it was simple to dig down into the nest.

[Foogoo]

I dug up Pogonomyrmex brood last year. I did this at a really sandy park where it was simple to dig down into the nest.

How far down was the brood?

[dspdrew]

Only about a foot.

[Chromerust]

I thought of using water because anytime I water near an Argentine ant colony, even if it's just a little water, they seem to swarm out with eggs, larvae and pupae in tow. I once did encounter a Pogonomyrmex colony at this same location moving brood for no apparent reason, of course I didn't think of any reason to catch any at that time.

My argentines didn't move in captivity with water

[drtrmiller]

My argentines didn't move in captivity with water

 

I experienced the same thing with my captive ones. They were extremely difficult to move and eventually I just had to destroy the formicarium to get them out.