20 replies to this topic

[Ants_Texas]

Anybody from Colorado want to share some species that they roll their eyes at when looking for queens? I need to know what to expect to find there, more specifically in the Fort Collins area? A short list would be nice, thanks guys!

[dermy]

The big question here is why would you want pest species?

[Shaye]

The big question here is why would you want pest species?

It sounds like he might want to know which ones to avoid.

[XZero38]

Are you going to be moving out to Colorado?

[Ants_Texas]

The big question here is why would you want pest species?

I actually want to know which ones I shouldn't keep. Haha

[Ants_Texas]

After about 4 years yes. I plan on visiting as well.

[Batspiderfish]

Remember that you can only keep ants from the state where you live. If you want to collect queens to raise from Colorado, you'd better have a home there.

[Ants_Texas]

Yeah I know that Batspiderfish. I probably won't even catch anything unless it's something like a honeypot, if I do I'll keep it in the house.

[XZero38]

The places I've lived in colorado i havent had any inside my homes, but around there are lots of tetramorium, pogonomyrmex, and solonopsis molesta. Again i don't consider them pests as I've never had them in my living areas. SgtHeaton might have a different opinion though

[Ants_Texas]

Well I guess I mean a species you wouldn't be excited to find because of how common it is.

[XZero38]

probably pogonomyrmex occidentalis and tetramorium. I already have colonies of those and they are super easy to find. This year and last i kept finding queens for both species and i wasnt going out trying to find them, i would see them just during my daily routine.

[Ants_Texas]

Doesn't sound that bad. Hopefully I can actually find things there.

[sgheaton]

Where do you live? Texas? Why are you attempting to steal ants from Colorado? 

[Ants_Texas]

I really hope you're joking. If you aren't, I literally just said I would be moving there after a while.

[sgheaton]

Not at all. 

[Ants_Texas]

Well, to clarify: I'm asking what species are super common in Colorado so that once I move there I know what to not catch too much of. Can you let me know what you see a lot of there?

[sgheaton]

Eh................ .....Big IF for when you actually move here. Won't tell you how to manage your time though....

 

Last Year

Honestly I've walked outside in my pjs and found ... I don't know... 30 <x< 100 Tetramorium Queens last year. They were all over my front yard. I had 3 Pogonomyrmex on my back patio as well. Pogonomyrmex can be found in literally any field in the surrounding areas. They are all over the place. Zero seemed to have found a lot without very little trouble.

 

This Year

Again, I didn't go out and about to find any queens - they all found me. I drive by Pogonomyrmex nests all the live long day. there's a massive mound on the corner where I turn. Not as many tetras this year as I straight up murder burned my yard in chemicals. Have .... I really need to count... I dunno.. 10 of some lasius species I haven't been researching. More preoccupied with other silly projects I'm doing. 

 

Long story short -- I've put in no effort in finding queens and became the Midwest distributor for Tetramoriums. You would not have any trouble finding these species with very little effort. 

 

AS FOR THE OTHER COLORADIANS -- I think they live on the west side of the mountain and are hauling in all sorts of species. 

[Kujawaorchids]

For me it's just the social parasite queens. I found 4 different species this year and handfuls, so many. I personally cannot get enough Pogonomyrmex, still want more even though I have lots.

[swinder]

One difficult part of this question for me (as someone who lives in Colorado), is that Colorado is fairly diverse.  I suspect the answer of someone that lives in the mountains will be drastically different than someone along the front range or out on the plains to the east.

 

Fort Collins is pretty much along the front range, so I would guess it would be similar to mine in the Springs.  My answer is fairly similar to sgheaton's as well, so I'm guessing that's a pattern for you.  This year I caught tons of Tetramorium Sp. E (they are everywhere in the suburbs), tons of Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (these are very easy because they leave their founding nests to look for food for weeks after the original flight), and if you catch it on the right day Lasius Neoniger with their Labor Day flights.  Those were the species I could easily catch 20+ queens each of if desired.

[Ants_Texas]

One difficult part of this question for me (as someone who lives in Colorado), is that Colorado is fairly diverse.  I suspect the answer of someone that lives in the mountains will be drastically different than someone along the front range or out on the plains to the east.

 

Fort Collins is pretty much along the front range, so I would guess it would be similar to mine in the Springs.  My answer is fairly similar to sgheaton's as well, so I'm guessing that's a pattern for you.  This year I caught tons of Tetramorium Sp. E (they are everywhere in the suburbs), tons of Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (these are very easy because they leave their founding nests to look for food for weeks after the original flight), and if you catch it on the right day Lasius Neoniger with their Labor Day flights.  Those were the species I could easily catch 20+ queens each of if desired.

Sounds good to me!