46 replies to this topic

[Shinywooloo]

How do they feel about roaches? Will they eat them?

[antperson24]

I know some people say that P. imparis aren't polygynous up here in northern Iowa, however, I have successfully formed a two queened colony by adding a queen to an already established 6 worker colony.

Also, will they eat fruit flies? I would like to feed them those because I'm breeding them, so they are readily available, but if not I can still catch other insects.

[Ants_Dakota]

I know some people say that P. imparis aren't polygynous up here in northern Iowa, however, I have successfully formed a two queened colony by adding a queen to an already established 6 worker colony.

Also, will they eat fruit flies? I would like to feed them those because I'm breeding them, so they are readily available, but if not I can still catch other insects.

fruit flies are the best protein source for small colonies, so i assume so. Larger insects have a habit of molding in ants outworlds...

[antperson24]

 

I know some people say that P. imparis aren't polygynous up here in northern Iowa, however, I have successfully formed a two queened colony by adding a queen to an already established 6 worker colony.
Also, will they eat fruit flies? I would like to feed them those because I'm breeding them, so they are readily available, but if not I can still catch other insects.

fruit flies are the best protein source for small colonies, so i assume so. Larger insects have a habit of molding in ants outworlds...

 

Alright, I've heard people say yes, others say no.

 

[OhNoNotAgain]

DARK & QUIET AND THEY DO BETTER AND EVEN MOVE THEMSELVES

 

For encouraging colonies to combine, and possibly for getting colonies to move out of dry tubes, it seems to help to offer them a totally dark and quiet setting.

My first year I tried and tried to get my Prenos to move out of very moldy tubes, and nothing worked short of slamming the tube and knocking them out.

I have since learned (slowly) that Prenolepis prefer being in the dark and being left alone, far more than any other species I've kept.

I have put two test tube colonies into the same outworld and, IN THE DARK AND QUIET, one colony moved over and merged colonies.

There's a YouTube video of someone doing exactly the same thing. Leave them alone in the DARK they are more likely to move.

 

Also, my Preno colonies never thrived UNTIL I learned to LEAVE them in a very dark, vibration-reduced drawer. (Except winter, when they go into the cooler garage (non-freezing).) Again, none of my other colonies are this sensitive.

 

However, they suck at cleanup and I do have to check once a week to feed/water/nectar and clean out moldy food from their test tube. 

 

 

POLY? OR LONG-TERM MONO? JUST WONDERING. NO IDEA.

 

Also, that colony that combined eventually lost all its queens except one, which has survived into its 3rd year. I do not know if they get culled, underfed, or if it's just natural mortality rate. I've had several colonies of different ant species that are supposed to be poly, except somehow over the space of a year or two, all the queens die off except one. So they SEEM poly except somehow I'm always left with a single-queen colony. (The exception has been an Acromyrmex colony.) Or maybe I'm just a mediocre ant keeper (which is also quite likely).

Edited by OhNoNotAgain, February 26 2024 - 7:39 AM.

[RedFox]

Has anyone tried a natural habitat for them? I only have one colony, so I don't want to try a natural setup, I will wait until I can get more colonies.

[ANTdrew]

Has anyone tried a natural habitat for them? I only have one colony, so I don't want to try a natural setup, I will wait until I can get more colonies.

Yes, this is probably the best way to keep these ants. Jplelito has kept a colony for years in a planted aquarium.