2 replies to this topic

[JoeyD101]

Hello, I'm new to the hobby, despite being middle aged. Anyone here from my area that can give me tips on when and where to go anting (rural as opposed to wooded areas...)? I already know that a day or two after a rain is the best time, but where do you go to look for queens? Is there any other weather indicator that may help me? I have caught three Solenopsis queens and one tiny little queen that is, as yet, unidentified as I don't have a camera quite able to do the macro thing as well as I need it to. So... I look forward to lots of discussions herein and I hope to be able to add something from time to time that may be helpful.

 

[antnest8]

usually you just walk around on a side walk or patio for a little bit and queens will just show up. If you don't have that luck you can make a black light trap as shown and hunt that way at night. If you don't want to wait that long you can go to a patch of dirt (leaves, wood, Etc.) and find queens digging their founding chambers or find a founding chamber (usually easy to identify from the pile of dirt) and digging it up.

 

Blacklight traps

http://www.formicult...ght#entry83595 

[antnest8]

oh and you can check a pool or any water source for queens because its really hard to drown an ant.