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What was your opinion of ants before you became an ant keeper?

Started By RushmoreAnts , Feb 22 2020 3:32 PM

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32 replies to this topic

#21 Offline ForestDragon - Posted February 23 2020 - 6:28 PM

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i thought they were interesting a bit, i once caught an albino camponotus worker in 4th grade(foraging not a callow) and i kept it in a dirt jar, first ant i ever kept. i didn't know you could catch queens until like 3 or 4 years ago. NOW I'm HERE and I'm a cancer to my school because i don't shut up about our planet(I'm not cancerous about climate change) reptiles, exotic animals,ants... and marching band( drumline is the best section change my mind... oh wait you can't) yeah I'm a uber mega nerd crunchwrap supreme v110.7


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#22 Offline ponerinecat - Posted February 23 2020 - 8:29 PM

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When you find out your friends like the same arthropods as you 


#23 Offline OhNoNotAgain - Posted February 23 2020 - 10:35 PM

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I suddenly remembered I used to play Sim-Ant (whoops, SimAnt). If you look up the game, it's from '91-'92. I'm guessing I played in '92 or '93. I wasn't a kid any more but by then I had managed to capture a couple queens and start colonies (and kill them off through neglect/cluelessness). I do know the game was kinda fun but the AI was so simple and the ants so stupid that I really missed just hanging out in the backyard watching ants, or watching ants in toy formicaria.


Edited by OhNoNotAgain, February 23 2020 - 10:37 PM.

Past & Present

Veromessor pergandei, andrei, stoddardi; Novomessor cockerelli

Camponotus fragilis, Camponotus sansabeanus (inactive), vicinus, laevigatus/quercicola, CA02

Pogonomyrmex subnitidus, P. californicus (inactive)

Liometopum occidentale (inactive); Prenolepis imparis; Myrmecocystus mexicanus (inactive); Tetramorium sp. (inactive);  Lasius sp.

 

Termites: Zootermopsis angusticollis, and a box of drywood termites that can't be seen

Isopods: (most no longer keeping) A. gestroi, granulatum, kluugi, maculatum, vulgare; C. murina; P. hoffmannseggi, P. haasi, P. ornatus; V. parvus, P. pruinosus, T. tomentosa

Spoods: (no longer keeping) Phidippus sp., other

#24 Offline ANTdrew - Posted February 24 2020 - 3:15 AM

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I remember that game now that you mention it!
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#25 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted February 24 2020 - 4:35 PM

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The thing that got me hooked was watching a disturbed Formica colony rush their pupae around. Just don't mess with them when they're mad.


  • Ferox_Formicae likes this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans                                  Camponotus vicinus, modoc, novaeboracensis, herculeanus

Formica pallidefulva, argentea                        Solenopsis molesta

Formica cf. aserva                                          Lasius brevicornis, neoniger

Pheidole bicarinata

Lasius claviger

#26 Offline TheMicroPlanet - Posted February 24 2020 - 4:50 PM

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Whenever I saw one of those huge swarms of ants, I always thought it was disguisting (I used to equate them with large crowds of people. I kinda hate large crowds too), and then I'd spray 'em up with those anti-ant chemicals. But now It's plain to see how efficiently ants operate, even surpassing human standards (sometimes) in my opinion.


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My ants

https://www.formicul... themicroplanet

#27 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted February 24 2020 - 4:53 PM

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I admired their ferocious defense of their home. I also wanted to take them home with me.....  :lol:


  • Ants_Dakota likes this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans                                  Camponotus vicinus, modoc, novaeboracensis, herculeanus

Formica pallidefulva, argentea                        Solenopsis molesta

Formica cf. aserva                                          Lasius brevicornis, neoniger

Pheidole bicarinata

Lasius claviger

#28 Offline Acutus - Posted February 27 2020 - 7:23 AM

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Great Question!! I've always liked ants. Well except for the damn tiny black ants that invade my house all Spring, Summer, and Fall LOL. However in the course of my job managing a Camp property I come into conflict with many ant colonies. I would usually have to  spray and kill them or something.

This past year instead of killing I took the time to capture them whenever it was humanly possible! I got 2 really nice C. chromiaodes colonies, a C. castaneus colony, which is my favorite! I also got 2 Aphaenogaster colonies (1 has since passed) and a Crematogaster as well. :D

What's the appeal of castaneus again? They're just so common here. They're more common than pennsylvanicus in most areas. I prefer americanus myself, but my two favorite Camponotus in my region are socius (which I've never seen) and the coastal floridanus.

 

 

Can't really explain it I just love castaneus. The queens color is just an awesome shade of chestnut red they're super active underground, not as active up top. They're pretty common here too but more see them at night or under things. They have repletes which I think is cool and the others may as well but with castaneus I can really tell. Just like them. I also like the size. the little ants are sometimes way cooler I know but the larger ants I can observe better.


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Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#29 Offline AntaholicAnonymous - Posted March 5 2020 - 7:14 AM

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I saw them as spider food until one incident where I tried to spoil my spider with 50 ants in a jar.

I bet you can imagine that I was quite surprised seeing my spider getting torn apart and pulled under the soil.

I became an ant keeper that day I was about 6 or 7 years old I think
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#30 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted March 5 2020 - 9:11 AM

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Great Question!! I've always liked ants. Well except for the damn tiny black ants that invade my house all Spring, Summer, and Fall LOL. However in the course of my job managing a Camp property I come into conflict with many ant colonies. I would usually have to  spray and kill them or something.

This past year instead of killing I took the time to capture them whenever it was humanly possible! I got 2 really nice C. chromiaodes colonies, a C. castaneus colony, which is my favorite! I also got 2 Aphaenogaster colonies (1 has since passed) and a Crematogaster as well. :D

What's the appeal of castaneus again? They're just so common here. They're more common than pennsylvanicus in most areas. I prefer americanus myself, but my two favorite Camponotus in my region are socius (which I've never seen) and the coastal floridanus.

 

 

Can't really explain it I just love castaneus. The queens color is just an awesome shade of chestnut red they're super active underground, not as active up top. They're pretty common here too but more see them at night or under things. They have repletes which I think is cool and the others may as well but with castaneus I can really tell. Just like them. I also like the size. the little ants are sometimes way cooler I know but the larger ants I can observe better.

 

I believe that i have seen some of the workers before, and i really liked them. they like crawling up trees, right?


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

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#31 Offline Ferox_Formicae - Posted March 5 2020 - 9:46 AM

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Great Question!! I've always liked ants. Well except for the damn tiny black ants that invade my house all Spring, Summer, and Fall LOL. However in the course of my job managing a Camp property I come into conflict with many ant colonies. I would usually have to  spray and kill them or something.

This past year instead of killing I took the time to capture them whenever it was humanly possible! I got 2 really nice C. chromiaodes colonies, a C. castaneus colony, which is my favorite! I also got 2 Aphaenogaster colonies (1 has since passed) and a Crematogaster as well. :D

What's the appeal of castaneus again? They're just so common here. They're more common than pennsylvanicus in most areas. I prefer americanus myself, but my two favorite Camponotus in my region are socius (which I've never seen) and the coastal floridanus.

 

 

Can't really explain it I just love castaneus. The queens color is just an awesome shade of chestnut red they're super active underground, not as active up top. They're pretty common here too but more see them at night or under things. They have repletes which I think is cool and the others may as well but with castaneus I can really tell. Just like them. I also like the size. the little ants are sometimes way cooler I know but the larger ants I can observe better.

 

I believe that i have seen some of the workers before, and i really liked them. they like crawling up trees, right?

 

I see workers all over the place, but when I see them foraging it's often at the bases of trees or in leaf litter. They rarely forage during the day though.


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Currently Keeping:

 

Camponotus chromaiodes, Camponotus nearcticus, Stigmatomma pallipes, Strumigenys brevisetosa, Strumigenys clypeata, Strumigenys louisianae, Strumigenys membranifera, Strumigenys reflexa, Strumigenys rostrata

 

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#32 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted March 5 2020 - 3:47 PM

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I believe that i have seen some of the workers before, and i really liked them. they like crawling up trees, right?

Unlikely, yet still possible. There are many species with that coloration. I bet it was vicinus or some other species with orange coloration, though again, it's still possible.


  • Ants_Dakota likes this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans                                  Camponotus vicinus, modoc, novaeboracensis, herculeanus

Formica pallidefulva, argentea                        Solenopsis molesta

Formica cf. aserva                                          Lasius brevicornis, neoniger

Pheidole bicarinata

Lasius claviger

#33 Offline Cblake113 - Posted March 16 2020 - 4:56 AM

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I didn't mind them if they were outside. But hated them in the house.
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