23 replies to this topic

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

Two of my Tetramorium Immigran queen's have had pupae for around two weeks now and no development has happened. I check on them every 4-5 days and every time I do nothing changes. No change in pupae color, no new eggs, etc. Should I just keep waiting for something to happen or do I need to take some sort of action. Could it be because they have very low protein to provide to them? Both queens have around 7-10 pupae.

[spartANTS]

I think you need to do is to stop checking on them at this stage .

once the workers are present  checking the nest 4-5 is ok but at this stage of founding you need to let the "curtain" close.

 

the best for a fully claustral queen is once in a test tube (wrapped with Tinfoil and close to a heating cable) is to forget her for 1 1/2 month . check the incubation time for the species.

it's like a plug and play device.

 

maybe a very tiny drop of honey can give a boost ?.

Edited by spartANTS, August 19 2019 - 9:23 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Temperature could be an issue. Tetramorium like to be as warm as they can, which is why they congregate under pavement to take advantage of the radiant heat. I find temps of low to mid 80s ideal for my Tetras.

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

Temperature could be an issue. Tetramorium like to be as warm as they can, which is why they congregate under pavement to take advantage of the radiant heat. I find temps of low to mid 80s ideal for my Tetras.

Temperature would probably be the answer to my problem. Currently they are housed in test tubes in a box in my garage. It has been a decent temperature outside around 75ish with low humidity but with the lack of sun the garage is cooler. I am going to try moving their box into my room with a small heating mat on the edge of the tubes. Thank you for the advice! I hope it works because I am super eager to get my first workers!

Edited by Pumpkin_Loves_Ants, August 19 2019 - 3:52 PM.

[ANTdrew]

Yeah, my Tetras go semi-dormant at 75deg. Keep in mind they must be cooler at night. Consider getting them a heat cable.

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

I checked back on them an hour later and apparently the heating mat was hot enough to kill my two only tetra queens. It cooked both of them alive and I am now queenless. I honestly do not have the patience to go looking for other queens. I had those queens for around a month and a few weeks or so with not a single worker. I got super attached to both of them and I am honestly deprived of motivation to continue to hunt and care for other queens so for now I am done with ant keeping. I might come back later but for now I am done.

Edited by Pumpkin_Loves_Ants, August 19 2019 - 3:54 PM.

[sweetgrass]

I’m so very sorry

Care needs to be taken with heat. Only part of the setup on the heat so they can choose the right temperature for comfort

[ANTdrew]

Damn, man. I’m really sorry.

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

After my head has been clearing for a few hours now my last resort option is to find another queen of the same genus and species and transplant the remaining pupae to the new queen. This is going to be tremendously hard since Tetramorium Immigran are mostly found through June and July. I am going to be searching almost all day and will report my findings tomorrow night most likely. I quite literally need to find one as my whole colony depends on it. Please if you have any advice at all for find Tetramorium I will gladly accept and try all of it. 

 

Also, what time do they usually fly from your experience? If they fly in the early morning then I have a good chance at catching one since I am up very early.

 

If it really comes down to digging up a queen I am willing to do it. Since they are so abundant I am super hopeful that I can find one.

Edited by Pumpkin_Loves_Ants, August 19 2019 - 6:25 PM.

[ANTdrew]

Tetramorium flights are largely over. While you might find an established colony, my advice would be to look out for fall flying queens like Lasius and Crematogaster. From what I read, Lasius neoniger are really abundant up north.
Don’t give up, you’re definitely not the first person to lose a queen.

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

Tetramorium flights are largely over. While you might find an established colony, my advice would be to look out for fall flying queens like Lasius and Crematogaster. From what I read, Lasius neoniger are really abundant up north.
Don’t give up, you’re definitely not the first person to lose a queen.

While I most likely could find fall flying queens as you described, my main goal was simply to have one to two queens one of which being Tetramorium species for their numerous beginner qualities. I was very excited to have workers before the school year started as sort of a distraction from all the school work. I may look for other queens but I desperately want a Tetramorium for how fast they grow compared to other species and because I want to house a smaller species. Yes, Crematogaster and Lasius are small as well Tetramorium just has something about them that makes me drift towards them more than other genera of ants. I am most likely going to try to find a small colony and dig them up since mentioned before how almost infinite they seem. 

 

Also all the pupae that the queens had still have a chance of turning into workers if the heat blast didn't kill them. 

Edited by Pumpkin_Loves_Ants, August 19 2019 - 6:46 PM.

[ANTdrew]

I get where you’re coming from. It may be very hard to dig out a Tetra queen, though. The extra patience needed for Lasius or Crematogaster would pay off, though, so I would still keep your eyes peeled for them.

[TennesseeAnts]

Pheidole are still flying and are very similar to Tetramorium. Pheidole are also polygynous (species dependant), and have majors!

[Unfrozen]

I get where you’re coming from. It may be very hard to dig out a Tetra queen, though. The extra patience needed for Lasius or Crematogaster would pay off, though, so I would still keep your eyes peeled for them.

yesterday i saw a queen on the ground and from far it looked like a tetra but i was at a mall with my friend and had no containers so i left it.

If i go hunting for queens ill go everyday and find nothing eveytime i have found a queen it has been a accident or i just buy them I've even been going somewhere and wondered if i have a snap cap vial on my i take it out look down and there is a queen

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

So would I have to wait till next year to find a newly mated Tetra queen? Also are some ant keepers on the forums from Wisconsin selling any tetra queens? I am not familiar with the people from Wisconsin on the forums and it would be nice if you could link me to people selling queens with works

[Canadant]

Are you in Canada? I got two queens from Canadian Anter for 10 bucks each! He might even have some with brood now. Also, try rbarreto on here. I believe he may have a few founding colonies.

That's how I got my two queens. Ask on here. There are bound to be others from America/europe willing to share/ship/sell a queen to you.

And your name is pumpkin loves ants NOT pumpkin gives up on ants. I lose at this game every year with a genus or two but I keep trying! That's what makes it so fun. There will be more nups next year!

Good luck! don't give up.

Sincerely

Canadant

[TennesseeAnts]

Also try looking under rocks. There may be some queens with nanitics under some!

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

Are you in Canada? I got two queens from Canadian Anter for 10 bucks each! He might even have some with brood now. Also, try rbarreto on here. I believe he may have a few founding colonies.

That's how I got my two queens. Ask on here. There are bound to be others from America/europe willing to share/ship/sell a queen to you.

And your name is pumpkin loves ants NOT pumpkin gives up on ants. I lose at this game every year with a genus or two but I keep trying! That's what makes it so fun. There will be more nups next year!

Good luck! don't give up.

Sincerely

Canadant

Thank you so much. I really needed to hear something like that right now. I am located in northeastern Wisconsin and I don't know all the laws of shipping ants but I suspect you can't ship from country to country. 

 

If you know any Wisconsin ant sellers would you be kind enough to share their names with me? Thank you in advance!

[Canadant]

Guess what! Walked outside today and low and behold A beautiful crematogastor queen (lol. I think) walking along a path in front of me. I lost mine last year (she had wings and never made it... sadly).

So, time to start Again. Question: are crematogastor fully claustral?

Excited. A rare ant around here.

[TennesseeAnts]

Most Crematogaster are, yes. Some are parasitic.