33 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

This is exactly why I am so against the GAN scenario. You should never ever release ants, native or not. Vendayn, when other animals are released in an effort to bring back a species it is done after careful study of the potential impact and all is done to be sure the released animals are disiease free. It is  even illegal most places to release an animal you capture and hold in captivity for more than just a few hours. This does make good data for a paper I am working on though.

Well, I'm pretty sure Argentine ants and bulldozers are worse.

Edited by Vendayn, August 29 2015 - 11:05 AM.

[Vendayn]

nvm

Edited by Vendayn, August 29 2015 - 11:05 AM.

[Vendayn]

nvm

Edited by Vendayn, August 29 2015 - 11:05 AM.

[William. T]

I guess we all make mistakes. As long as you are heavy handed with the Terro and Raid, the T. Sessile should be gone. They are one of the worst pest ants species, so there is a lot on killing.

[Mdrogun]

I have decided to make this a journal on a fragment of the colony I collected. I am going to be killing the super colony so there would be no point in documenting them. 

 

I recently collected a small portion of the colony. It has about 200-500 workers (sorry i am bad at estimates) 1 queen and about 400-700 items of assorted pieces of brood. The queen has laid almost 100 eggs in the few days I have been keeping them. So far I have fed them blue 100 and they LOVE it. They go crazy for it. These colony's grow very fast and the queen does not look bloated with eggs at all. I estimate this colony will get very big very fast. I am currently moving them into a Talus, so later tonight I will take some pictures and/or a video.

 

Video's:

Edited by Mdrogun, September 3 2015 - 3:03 PM.

[Mdrogun]

The GAN farmer who gave them to me was Alex Wild. I know he was not lying about collecting them from illinois.

 

Say what?

 

 

 

Yeah he actually sold me my Camponotus pennsylvanicus. colony too. I didn't know who he was at the time. 

[gcsnelling]

Perhaps not killing them though but just driving them off.

[Mdrogun]

I have killed off quite a bit of the ants and have taken many queens. The population has dramatically dropped, it has been at least halved. I think what has helped the most is the queens. I believe I over estimated the queens. I have taken at least 10 queens and noticed that they all lay 100-150 eggs a day each (In Captivity). I think I am going to be releasing a Camponotus pennsylvanicus. colony (150 workers) by my house once I have killed the Tapinoma. I believe there was a colony in one of my bushes before I released the Tapinoma.

[LC3]

Um... The C.pennsylvanicus might infest your house on top of that wasnt this thread talking about not releasing colonies? cx

[William. T]

Don't release any queens!

[Mdrogun]

I can't take this anymore Vendayn is telling me to release native ants. Your telling me not to. I don't know what the [censored] to do. There already was a Camponotus pennsylvanicus. colony outside my house. What is wrong with replacing the colony I destroyed?

Edited by dspdrew, October 1 2015 - 12:46 PM.
Removed profanity

[Myrmicinae]

I can't take this anymore Vendayn is telling me to release native ants. Your telling me not to. [...] There already was a Camponotus pennsylvanicus. colony outside my house. What is wrong with replacing the colony I destroyed?

 

I would need to read the thread again.  However, to be safe, if the C. pennsylvanicus colony was taken from an area some distance from your house, it is best to not release them.  

 

Edit: Also, you should know that Dr. Snelling (who commented here) is a professional myrmecologist. 

Edited by Myrmicinae, October 1 2015 - 4:46 PM.

[Crystals]

In my opinion, any colony taken from nature should not be released.  You can rehome them to other hobbyists, zoos, or museums - or in a worst case scenario, frozen.

 

Even if they came from your backyard, it is best to not release them, because there is a potential, however slight or great, of an unintentional release of pathogens or mites that they may have picked up while in captivity.

 

If there was a colony in your yard before, there is a good chance a new queen of the same species may fly in or establish itself in the same area.

[William. T]

I can't take this anymore Vendayn is telling me to release native ants. Your telling me not to. I don't know what the [censored] to do. There already was a Camponotus pennsylvanicus. colony outside my house. What is wrong with replacing the colony I destroyed?

You should, as mentioned before, listen to Dr. Snelling, a professional myrecologist. Don't release any ant colonies. There might be bad consequences to nature, which I think you would already know. It's not like C. Pennsylvannicus are going to be extinct, either. Another colony of that may be established here. Just put your ants in the freezer, and it would be all done.