Keeping Ants

Frozen crickets: a question

feeds@yuku.com (yliza) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:39:55 GMT

I actually went to a pet store and bought live crickets today. Smallest quantity I could get was a dozen, and they were all pretty big for a single ant queen, brood or no. That meant I was going to have to chop 'em up...and that I'd have enough to feed my queens for weeks.

I put them in the freezer. For one thing, I didn't have to deal with a squirming critter when I was cutting it into little pieces. I'm hoping the remaining crickets will keep for at least a few...

Tubes

feeds@yuku.com (nubioh) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:24:23 GMT

I've been wondering about how long will a Queen survive within a test tube that has a wet cotton ball? How do they get the air they need?

Killing Colony Odor : List the Methods!

feeds@yuku.com (Anna) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:19:43 GMT

We all know that colony odor is the main barrier between us and many mega colonies at swarming time!

Here are the methods I have tried:

1. Chilling - NOT real good results, even with multiple chillings

2. A very weak solution of Febreze / water - Works at first very very well, then wears off - does NOT seem to hurt them at all

I know the C.O. is a result of the scent produced in the outer skin of the worker / queen -- what if there were a WAY to get...

My little pets - Messor Barbarus (Harvester Ants)

feeds@yuku.com (stellar) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:24:11 GMT

I have had the harvestor ants for about 6 months now, they appear to be healthy and run around, i would say there is about 50ish of them and the queen. I don't understand how they are functioning though... i keep them in a small tank.. made for ants (it had a large area for them to walk about on the surface but has the thinness of a normal antfarm to see the chambers)... I feed them grass seeds (which they go mental for) and other random seeds... water them etc... when i water them i...

in the meantime...

feeds@yuku.com (metallicmyrmecology) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:14:32 GMT

So I've read all about formicariums and building them, and I have what I think is a great idea, but it's just not coming together as smoothly as I had thought it would. Silicone needs like two days to dry, and each time the seal fails it's another two days wait just to see if it has worked THIS time.

Also, I've read about keeping new queens in a test tube, which has worked out well so far, however a few problems that have arisen are 1. the water in the bottom...

Success! Pheidole queen lays eggs! (142k image)

feeds@yuku.com (yliza) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:53:16 GMT

My Pheidole queen didn't care much for the test tube setup, so I put some reptile substrate into a former gel habitat and placed her in there. You can't see her in the photo, but you can see the setup. The tube on the left is the foraging area, which can be expanded later should it become necessary. The tube on the right is for adding water, the segment inside the...

Aquarium Setup [A few questions]

feeds@yuku.com (Schleich) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:32:40 GMT

Okay, I plan on setting up a RECTANGLE aquarium to use for a colony.
I have mostly everything planned out but have a few questions.

What could I put in the middle that is solid and will force them to build on the edges? [Something im actually able to buy please]

If im using a mix of dirt and sand would I just need to spray the top with water everyday or so?

Would on top of the dirt be suitable for the...

Questions About Setups

feeds@yuku.com (dantrell) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:10:14 GMT

Hello all.

My first question is about this setup.

What happens when the water runs out? Is it connected to another tube where you can refill water as needed? I ask because this photo makes it seem like it's connected to to

mold, and dead ants questions

feeds@yuku.com (P1MP) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:10:39 GMT

I realise a lot of posts have been put up about mold and dead ants but not having completely answered my questions.

1- if mold gets into the chambers or tunnels of the ants will they take it outside ?

2- do ants dispose of trash, dead ants and other crap that acumulates outside of their nest ?

3- ( a bit off topic) if i provide a foraging erea for the ants can the glass house where they will live be completely full of earth or do i still need to leave em a bit of...

Antimal House

feeds@yuku.com (antdude) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:15:11 GMT

Oh brother. More of these gel setups, but with themes.

http://antimalhouse.com/ from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/6/prweb1058984.htm ...

new to anting, formicarium construction

feeds@yuku.com (PT) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:09:53 GMT

Hi,

I am new to anting (although not new to ants "fascination" club ). I have read lot of stuff about ant keeping recently and I decided to try it on my own (bold me!). As I am from Czech republic, I guess I will go with Lasius Niger, which also should happen to reproduce soon, so I may have decent chance to catch some queen(s).

I intend to build formicarium for them (once the queen will bredd some...

Camponotus & Formica initial care questions, and plaster vs. concrete nests

feeds@yuku.com (Marten) — Fri, 05 Jul 1907 13:14:54 GMT

Hello, all, and thanks in advance for any help. I've posted this message on two separate forums, and I am anxious for some replies! I have recently collected some wandering dealated queens of several different species, and I have some specific questions about their care, particularly with respect to formicarium design (in a following post).

The ants were collected in North Georgia...

finally... queens.

feeds@yuku.com (metallicmyrmecology) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:02:47 GMT

so i found a queen a few weeks ago, just outside of our apartment and i thought to myself at the time "damn... i didn't realize they'd be THIS much bigger than the rest of them!!" i thought she was huge for an ant. and then i was at a friend's house a couple weeks later and this other queen is just strolling along, and she is absolutely massive. like 3/4 inch at least. so i was wondering what kind of ant she could possibly be, i realize that's not too awful much...

how moist do you need to keep the soil

feeds@yuku.com (P1MP) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:29:14 GMT

hello all,

i keep reading you need to keep the soil moist, but how moist and how do you water it ( just droping water on the top of the soil is ok ???)

Kids Creating Ant Farms Using Polymer Clay

feeds@yuku.com (simgarie) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:49:37 GMT

Living ant habitat created by using polymer clay
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/anthabitat_project.htm

Pogo Queen Rearing - Observations / Testing New Way

feeds@yuku.com (Anna) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:55:54 GMT

Hi! Im new but have been anting since I was 14 !

I caught a MASSIVE amount of Pogo queens a few days ago, and I have been trying a few different ways to maintain them.

Something I have just started in one section ( I am keeping some in craft bead boxes, they are clear and have cubicles, and can have air holes poked in! ) -- is that by adding two -- ONLY! -- two-- workers from a local P. Cali nest, I have been able to get workers in these cubicles with these queens.
...

trying to keep a Formica species

feeds@yuku.com (HistoryBuff) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:14:44 GMT

Well, I have nest i made out of plaster and on June 14 I found a wood ant. when i found the queen she wandering around with one of her wings gone. I captured her and brought her to a new home.

I have a question though, has anyone here successfully started a wood ant nest? How long is it before I could/should expect her to start laying eggs?

Just wondering because i never saw any mating balls so i dont know for certain that she did.

First Ant Farm

feeds@yuku.com (Schleich) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:11:13 GMT

I've developed a rather keen intrest in Ants, and wish to start my own farm or colony. Im wondering how I should start it though.

I have a fish tank in which I can fill with a substance allowing ants to make their colony but what should I fill it with?

I live in Ontario, Canada. There are no stores around that I know of allowing me to purchase ants and I wish to get a queen ant in order for my colony to last more then two days with those stinking gel farms and worker...

Another new ant colony! Camponotus clarithorax hatched today

feeds@yuku.com (Vendayn) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:08:26 GMT

I caught this queen back in April 26th, so a little less than 2 months. Well sometime within the last hour my worker hatched. I also have another two pupae and a bunch of larvae in this colony.

I put them in a 2.5 gallon acrylic aquarium, well I put the tubing they were in the aquarium and will let them move out on their own. The bottom of the aquarium is all sand and I have a bunch of pieces of termite eaten wood sitting on top. I also just now put a termite in their for them to...

My Queen Ant

feeds@yuku.com (KNG5) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:54:37 GMT

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and don't know a ton about ants like you guys...
But anyways, there have been a lot of winged ants around my yard lately. In my pool there have been a ton of larger winged ants. I saved most of them and put them in the garden. The other day I found two large wingless ones clinging to a raft and put them in my Antworks gel ant farm (I kind of wish I had a new one - the gel is kind of shriveled). Anyway, I think they might be queens - one is...