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Soil queen founding

Started By steam_funk , May 12 2020 3:55 PM

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5 replies to this topic

#1 Offline steam_funk - Posted May 12 2020 - 3:55 PM

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LocationLakeland, Florida, USA

I have a tapinoma sessile queen that I have put in a jar with moisture, springtails, light, and plants. She has not attempted to dig in the soil and keeps climbing the side of the jar. Is there anything I can do to encourage her, or am I doing it wrong.

#2 Offline SleepyAsianAnter - Posted May 12 2020 - 4:38 PM

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LocationLos Angeles (SoCal)

You should probably try a test tube set up.

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#3 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted May 12 2020 - 4:39 PM

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LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

You should probably try a test tube set up.

He has others in a test tube setup, yet I'd just put them all together, in the same test tube.

"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

#4 Offline OhNoNotAgain - Posted May 12 2020 - 7:45 PM

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1,134 posts

LocationCalifornia Argentine Ant Territory

Did you put in a starter hole? Decades ago I started several mystery queens with dirt ... and a starter hole along the edge. Be sure to put something dark around the outside, too. And is the moisture evenly distributed through the dirt? Looks like many dry patches possibly?

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

#5 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 13 2020 - 3:00 AM

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LocationAlexandria, VA

I also may be wrong, but I don’t think Tapinoma are big tunnelers. I see them just fitting in cracks or under stuff opportunistically. Maybe give her something to hide under?

Edited by ANTdrew, May 13 2020 - 6:10 AM.

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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#6 Offline Antkid12 - Posted May 13 2020 - 3:36 AM

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LocationFairfax, Virginia

I also may be wrong, but I don’t think Tapinoma are big tunnelers. I see them just fitting in cracks or under stiff oportunistically. Maybe give her something to hide under?

yeah, I had my colony some dirt to nest in but they just hid in the nooks and crannies, and didn't dig. so I just moved them into a formicarium.

ANTdrew and RushmoreAnts like this

Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, ~~Brachymyrmex sp.~~ possibly infertile , Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!