7 replies to this topic

[gsparrow]

Hello all,

 

I don't know if some of you remember or not but I captured some trap jaw ants this past summer while at work (came in a shipment of potted house plants).  They are doing well and I think there might be a queen.  Knowing these ants came from florida I'm not sure how to overwinter them.  I know temps can dip down around the Orlando, Fl area in January so not sure if I should put them in the wine cooler with the rest of the ants or leave their container out at room temperature for the winter or keep a heat cable on them????

 

 

[Zeiss]

They most likely do not need to be hibernated because FL is more of a tropical region than Delaware.  They should be fine in the high 70s.

[Manitobant]

don't HIBERNATE THEM!! they are a tropical species and will die if exposed to cold temperatures.

[TennesseeAnts]

It depends on where in Florida they originated. Some populations hibernate, while others don't.

[Superant33]

Don’t hibernate them. However, put them in the coldest room that you have. I do this with my traps.

[gsparrow]

Don’t hibernate them. However, put them in the coldest room that you have. I do this with my traps.

What type of set up do you keep your traps in?  I currently have them in a tub n tube set up.  Or would a mini hearth be better?  The colony has about 16 ants total.  And what do you feed your traps? 

I wish someone would make a care sheet on traps.

[Superant33]

I have several colonies. My largest was about 300 strong in a natural formicarium. I didn’t water the nest (trying to force a move into a ytong nest). Lost about 200 workers. The queen is alive and she is laying again. And now I can watch them. I have several smaller colonies, all in tubes. I will eventually move all of them into ytong nests. My traps eat mostly fruit flies and “large” springtails. They go nuts for termites.

[SuperFrank]

They shouldn't require any sort of diapause period. If they were collected in central Florida then it is either O brunneus or O ruginodis. With ruginodis being the more likely possibility. Brunneus follow an extremely strict yearly cycle of brood production and will slow down substantially in the winter (they won't lay or have brood in the nest for a few months) they will still be active and out foraging and must be provided for. Ruginodis do not slow down or need to enter any sort of diapause state at all to my knowledge.