Hello guys! I am planning my first ever formicarium and want to start with a medium to large ant species. It's a few months before the queens start flying in the DFW area and the first choice I am considering is a Carpenter ant species from my area. Not sure if I have the patience to start hunting a single new queen and the odds of finding one, or getting a newly started colony from someone in my area that captured one last spring...?
Any other medium to large species in my area I should consider, or be more likely to find a newly mated queen?
What supplies should I buy first to get me started in the right direction? Any good books I should read, maybe from the local library?
Thanks for any info!
Todd