Since all citronella ants seem to smell the same (to our noses anyway), would they not fight if mixed together with workers from another colony?
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citronella ants
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 Darkant5 |
citronella ants |
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Posts: 151 04/12/2002 3:42 PM |
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antdude |
Re: citronella ants | #1 | ||
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Posts: 17202 04/12/2002 3:52 PM
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Darkant5: Our noses are not that sensitive like a dog or an ant. I think each ant species have very fine difference that we can't smell.
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Darkant5 |
Re: citronella ants | #2 | ||
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Posts: 151 04/12/2002 3:58 PM |
I have discovered 2 colonys of these ants in the woods as well as the huge colony under my porch. I found a smaller colony that seems to be just starting maybe, and a larger one. i caught some of them and some of their aphids to do some tests on. I put them in a container, around 15 of them with some aphids. for no reason at all about 8 of them died. they just killed over, very strange. I seen this happen before when I caught some once but I figured that was because of bad soil. this time soil was fine. well anyway, they dug holes and carried their aphids in. I put some sugar in there and its gone now. I didnt think they would eat solid sugar.... i put some more in just to be sure. any thoughts on that?
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Mrmacophyl |
Re: citronella ants | #3 | ||
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Posts: 3405 04/13/2002 6:11 AM
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I have found that ants which have a high aromatic/ volatile content, are very prone to dying off when in or have been in closed containers. Formica are the worst offenders in this respect, along with Camponotus and Myrmecocystus. basically they gas them selves with their own defense mechanism. I have found that Acanthomyops also suffer in this way. So it is likely nothing you did, but the ants poisoned themselves. about the only cure would be when collecting put them in the largest collecting container possible and allow it to breath periodically, once the ants are no longer majorly stressed the danger should pass, although you may loose a few which were effected during the collection/transport process.
" The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's funny....'" Isaac Asimov:
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Darkant5 |
Re: citronella ants | #4 | ||
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Posts: 151 04/13/2002 11:23 PM |
I sorta figured that was the reason they were dying actually. but didnt want to sound stupid for mentioning it if I was wrong
 . thank you for confirming it. Also I dont think they ate the sugar, somehow its disolving in the container.
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Darkant5 |
Re: citronella ants | #5 | ||
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Posts: 151 04/14/2002 6:56 PM |
I believe I have got them to eat sugar water. they seem to all flock to tissue soaked in it. I was wondering, does anyone know where I can find information about aphid secreations? I want to know exactly what its made of and why citronella ants eat it. everything I read about it just says its a sweet substance.
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