108 replies to this topic

[ANTdrew]

Dang! That’s too bad about your seeds. I don’t have much luck simply sprinkling seeds. There are just too many things that can go wrong from the seeds getting eaten to inadequate moisture or unsuitable soil type. It’s best to take as much control over the process as you can by starting the seeds in pots with some protection against seed eating creatures.
Don’t give up on the goldenrod; just find some patches locally and dig a piece. Leave most of the parent plant.

Edited by ANTdrew, June 23 2020 - 2:32 AM.

[Antkid12]

 

You can maybe encourage/introduce some kind of Pheidole to help take out the Tetras?

It doesn't seem like any of our native species can go head-to-head with Tetramorium immigrans. At best, they can survive amongst them, and at worst they get out-competed. Our native Pheidole spp., save for maybe Pheidole dentata and/or Pheidole morrisii are no different. Even then, neither of those species are known in Wisconsin.

 

He will have to continue to suppress any growth he notices from the species, and prevent any queens from popping up, while simultaneously encouraging the native stuff.

 

I honestly think that the mono-culture of suburban lawns, that still encompass the majority of his yard, are death-sentences for 95% of native ants. It's unfortunate that humans like the "aesthetic" of them, but this is the world we live in lol.

 

I have seen Lasius nests That have lots of ripped apart tetra remains. Also Pheidole morrisi  is really aggressive and fast, They can definitely destroy tetras.

[TechAnt]

You can maybe encourage/introduce some kind of Pheidole to help take out the Tetras?

It doesn't seem like any of our native species can go head-to-head with Tetramorium immigrans. At best, they can survive amongst them, and at worst they get out-competed. Our native Pheidole spp., save for maybe Pheidole dentata and/or Pheidole morrisii are no different. Even then, neither of those species are known in Wisconsin.

He will have to continue to suppress any growth he notices from the species, and prevent any queens from popping up, while simultaneously encouraging the native stuff.

I honestly think that the mono-culture of suburban lawns, that still encompass the majority of his yard, are death-sentences for 95% of native ants. It's unfortunate that humans like the "aesthetic" of them, but this is the world we live in lol.

Fair point.

Edited by TechAnt, June 23 2020 - 7:20 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Tetramorium can coexist with native ants. I can testify that as you increase diversity of native plants, Tetramorium numbers drop. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I even have Pheidole in my yard now.

[Antkid12]

Tetramorium can coexist with native ants. I can testify that as you increase diversity of native plants, Tetramorium numbers drop. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I even have Pheidole in my yard now.

Yeah I agree with that. One part of my yard has only grass and its over run by Tetramorium. another part of my yard has a lot of different plant species and is basically a forest and there isn't a single tetra worker there. I am also really confused about there being barely any Pheidole in my area now.

Edited by Antkid12, June 23 2020 - 7:58 AM.

[AnthonyP163]

 

 

You can maybe encourage/introduce some kind of Pheidole to help take out the Tetras?

It doesn't seem like any of our native species can go head-to-head with Tetramorium immigrans. At best, they can survive amongst them, and at worst they get out-competed. Our native Pheidole spp., save for maybe Pheidole dentata and/or Pheidole morrisii are no different. Even then, neither of those species are known in Wisconsin.

 

He will have to continue to suppress any growth he notices from the species, and prevent any queens from popping up, while simultaneously encouraging the native stuff.

 

I honestly think that the mono-culture of suburban lawns, that still encompass the majority of his yard, are death-sentences for 95% of native ants. It's unfortunate that humans like the "aesthetic" of them, but this is the world we live in lol.

 

I have seen Lasius nests That have lots of ripped apart tetra remains. Also Pheidole morrisi  is really aggressive and fast, They can definitely destroy tetras.

 

Tetramorium are not great fighters, and they don't always attack colonies (especially Lasius, which is a fair competitor). The biggest issue is that Tetramorium outcompete the native ants for resources, since their recruitment to food sources and constant foraging puts them at an advantage (along with other various small advantages, like rapid growth). 

 

Lasius in one's yard, though, is always a good sign. 

 

Dang! That’s too bad about your seeds. I don’t have much luck simply sprinkling seeds. There are just too many things that can go wrong from the seeds getting eaten to inadequate moisture or unsuitable soil type. It’s best to take as much control over the process as you can by starting the seeds in pots with some protection against seed eating creatures.
Don’t give up on the goldenrod; just find some patches locally and dig a piece. Leave most of the parent plant.

There's a lot of Goldenrod in the forest near me, so I think I will take your advice and try to get some of it. 

[AnthonyP163]

6/29/20

 

Good Progress

 

I am pleased to share that some of the Evening Primrose I seeded this spring has finally come up!

 

Also, I followed the advice of ANTdrew and took a few small goldenrod plants from the forest near me. One of them is doing way better than the other two. I believe the two worse off goldenrod are connected by roots, so hopefully, with one of the plants being stronger than the other, they will both survive. I also have seen some other strange plants come up, and I've been trying to figure out what they are. It seems the pond, which is where all this is happening, will be the main focus this year.

 

The Tetramorium at the pond have become so recessive that I cannot treat them with hot water anymore. I am unable to find an entrance, or something they nest under, only random foraging workers. I take this as a sign that they are not thriving.

 

I found a colony of Tetramorium cf. tsushimae down the street, and have caught a smaller queen than the rest during flights. The Tetramorium tsushimae were active in the morning, likely for flights, but when I went back to get worker specimens in the afternoon, they were all gone. This morning, I went back and collected about a dozen worker specimens. There were over a hundred workers out when I first noticed them, and their identity was nearly unmistakable because so many of them had the light thorax. I recorded a short phone video of them dragging something to their nest, which is situated on the side of the pavement.

 

 

Tetramorium flights are now in progress, and I've gone out to observe almost every morning. I have only seen flights from the two colonies on the pavement, none from the colony at the garden, or the colony at the pond. I've seen an increasing amount of Camponotus caryae and Camponotus pennsylvanicus at the pond, and some Crematogaster had a trail going around the woodpile, which led to a dead caterpillar. I've been feeding the Lasius and Camponotus whenever I see them foraging. 

 

I'll have photos next update. 

[TechAnt]

Here you have a lot of Tetras you have to deal with, and I’m here so happy to find a single Tetra worker as it’s something that’s not an Argentine..

[AnthonyP163]

8/4/20

 

I forgot to update this for a long time.

 

Recently, the pond has been my main area of focus, and it's been doing amazing. In July, I released my 13 queen Crematogaster lineolata colony at the pond. Since then, their ~1000 workers have been forming trails, foraging all over and completely outcompeting the Tetramorium there. The pond has become dense with plants, including some milkweed. All of my milkweed is now covered in native aphids, and the small milkweed at the pond have gotten some too. My Evening Primrose is starting to grow tall, but I'm not confident they will drop seeds or get flowers. However, today, while looking under the leaves, I found a green aphid (presumably Aphis oenotherae). I'm hoping it can proliferate, as a google search showed Crematogaster tending aphids on Evening Primrose. 

 

The Tetramorium at the pond, however, are still not finished. A family member was kind enough to grab some native plants for me at a plant sale, they got Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed, and Prairie Onion. While digging a hole to plant these, I found Tetramorium tending aphids on the roots of the other grasses that sprouted around the pond. I made sure to focus on that colony with the hot water recently. 

 

With the large Crematogaster lineolata colony I released, and a Lasius neoniger colony that seems to be all over my yard, I am confident the Tetramorium are struggling to live as they once did. Not strong enough to attack the Crematogaster, and not bold enough to fight them for food. 

 

The main milkweed plants are covered in native aphids, but nothing is there to tend them  .

 

The Sow-thistles at the pond are very rare now, a lot of them being killed by the Uroleucon sonchii aphids. These aphids have been hunted for a while by the Crematogaster. 

 

I've been seeing a lot of the prairie plants near me get flowers/seeds, so I've been collecting these. Some will be planted somewhere, and some will likely be put in the fridge.

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=zgBhuWITr1E