625 replies to this topic

[CatsnAnts]

Well, I saw a stick today with a hole in it (it was a 3/4 inch in diameter) and cracked it open. What do you know, a Camponotus nearcticus queen pops out! I’ve now officially used my last test tube!

[CatsnAnts]

To make room for ants, I’ve decided to release two queens that I really don’t have much interest in: my Camponotus castaneus queen, as well as my Camponotus nearcticus queen. I’ve also took my single Strumigenys queen and added her to the existing colony. I’ve been trying to find the queen to that colony and haven’t succeeded, so I figured I would see if they got along. So far so good. That left me with 3 fresh test tubes in which I put 2 pheidole queens in their own test tube and some temnohorax in the last.

[TennesseeAnts]

Now if you were in Tennessee, I would have a castaneus queen.....

[CatsnAnts]

Now if you were in Tennessee, I would have a castaneus queen.....

Just a few hundred miles away To be honest, I don’t really like the HUGE Camponotus species, I like smaller ants.

[CatsnAnts]

Alright, each pheidole queen now has her own test tube, and he hits test tube has 5 Temnothorax ambiguus queens. I have a small test tube like container (was a bubble soap container) that now houses the three remaining temnothorax curvispinosus queens. I’m pretty excited to have finally found queens in both of these genuses this year.

[TennesseeAnts]

I use those same bubble tubes for Colobopsis and Solenopsis queens .

[CatsnAnts]

I use those same bubble tubes for Colobopsis and Solenopsis queens .

Literally though, we were at a wedding where they were passed out to everyone, and afterwords I was like “hey, can I have that?” I collected only four .

[TennesseeAnts]

Same. But I collected 15.

[CatsnAnts]

I decided to move the 5 Temnothorax ambiguus queens into one of the bubble containers as it is a lot smaller. I hope these do well.

[CatsnAnts]

Alright, I will be using up another test tube for my new Colobopsis queen! I have no idea of what her species is, but I’ll get an ID thread going soon!

Also, I found 5 more temnothorax curvispinosis. Should I add them to the existing 3 queens, or start a new one with them?

Edited by CatsnAnts, June 26 2019 - 6:45 PM.

[Mdrogun]

 

Cool! I’ll be heading out a lot! Also, if I haven’t got this point across already, MULCH is a great place to find queen ants and ant colonies! I literally with lifting up mulch again, and found a temnothorax longispinosus queen with a small brood pile!

I know this. I found a dead Pheidole queen and a few Lasius interjectus queens under some in my yard. Monomorium are flying as well.

 

do you know the weather conditions that trigger Monomorium minimum to fly? I know where a few colonies are, about 45 minutes from me, but I can't be going out there every day to check for queens.

[CatsnAnts]

Cool! I’ll be heading out a lot! Also, if I haven’t got this point across already, MULCH is a great place to find queen ants and ant colonies! I literally with lifting up mulch again, and found a temnothorax longispinosus queen with a small brood pile!

I know this. I found a dead Pheidole queen and a few Lasius interjectus queens under some in my yard. Monomorium are flying as well.

do you know the weather conditions that trigger Monomorium minimum to fly? I know where a few colonies are, about 45 minutes from me, but I can't be going out there every day to check for queens.

Personally, I’ve never actually seen monomorium queens. Although I’m pretty sure your asking Antdude, so I’ll let that up to him.

As for the Colobopsis queens, it’s C. mississippiensis! I put her in one of the bubble soap containers too because they’re smaller. I also added the 5 temnothorax to the existing three. Hopefully, they will start laying eggs because they are all getting along.

The Temnothorax ambiguus queens are all huddled up together, so hopefully they will lay soon too.

The 2 pheidole queens still haven’t shed their wings, but they aren’t trying to fly and are settled down, so I guess we’ll see if they are mated or not.

[NickAnter]

Here in SoCal, I find Monomorium in the evening, after a warm day.

Edited by NickAnter, June 27 2019 - 6:52 AM.

[TennesseeAnts]

I find Monomorium flying in the evenings on a warm, humid day.

[NickAnter]

I pretty much find one every day now in my pool, or on the cover.

[CatsnAnts]

I just randomly found another temnothorax curvispinosus queen today wondering around, so I guess that makes 9 queens. I’m not ping to add any more queens, as I think 9 is plenty for them to start a colony .

[CatsnAnts]

In the 5 queen temnothorax ambiguus setup, I have sight of a single egg! This means they are hopefully getting along!

[CatsnAnts]

Well, I just found a random Colobopsis queen on our white door. She’s either colobopsis impressa or obliqua.

EDIT: also, my cat thought it would be funny to knock a test tube (my last free one) off my desk. To say the least, it shattered EVERYWHERE.

Edited by CatsnAnts, June 27 2019 - 5:36 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

My seven queen obliqua colony has an egg now.

[CatsnAnts]

My seven queen obliqua colony has an egg now.

Wait these are polygynous? That’s cool. My (now 10 queen) temnthorax colony still doesn’t have any eggs, but my 5 queen T. ambiguus still has that one egg. How long does it take for Colobopsis to lay eggs?