5 replies to this topic

[musingsofjoe]

Hello, I have a couple questions for people with experience with Atta colonies. I have a couple(Atta sexdens). 

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Can queens climb string? Will colonies attempt to escape from setups? I was thinking of putting a colony in a large terraria, and giving them access to the outside world to forage for themselves.

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Is their any sort of way to insure queen visibiity in large colonies? 

[rcbuggy88]

Now I can't speak from experience since I haven't ever kept leaf-cutters (hard to get around here), colonies probably won't move out as long as the space given is decent, but outside world access other ants could come and kill your colony (I don't know if you would have that problem in Peru). As for queen visibility, all the colonies I have seen, the queen gets engulfed inside the giant ball of fungus after the colony gets big enough.

[musingsofjoe]

I have thought about that. But I figure with only a string for access invasion would be pretty difficult, and you could quickly severe access to the outside world if necessary. Once an Atta colony gets large the only things that can really go at them are Nomamyrmex army ants, and they usually raid from underground, I don't think they'd be able to get enough of a force in over a string to cause issues without us noticing. 

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The other potential issue is that in in their search for plants and salts they might damage stuff(particularly plastic screens at the like). I'm hoping that having the access touch the ground far away enough from the building will minimize this issue, and also we could maintain a small foraging arena stalked with plants and salty things(probably bits of toilet paper soaked in sweat, brine, or urine). 

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I'm also hoping this will limit colony growth somewhat. In big Atta colonies they make these highways that allow cutters to walk perhaps 8 abreast into the burrow carrying leaves. If they are forced to be more or less in single file that is going to limit harvesting efficiency, perhaps to the point of limiting colony size without the need to cull. 

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Edited by musingsofjoe, May 30 2020 - 9:21 AM.

[jushi]

I would definitely NOT give them access to the outside. If you do this other ants will raid them, or they will escape. Instead, put them in a plastic container with moist cotton balls, and add leaves and other things they will use to feed their fungus. I've never kept them, but I know it's an effective way to raise them

[steam_funk]

Their nests are made specially to allow the right gas exchange for their fungus. It might technically be easier to let them make their nest, but the space they require to make one in the ground would be very demanding. It would also take more care to replicate the right heat and moisture in that type of setup. I couldn't find the scholarly article for more in depth information ,but this website is a start (http://krungkuene.or...alantnests.html.)

[musingsofjoe]

I was planning on providing simply a large glass terraria with local soil, perhaps lightened with a bit of sawdust. A mote would keep them from crawling out indoors. We don't have air conditioning here so I'm thinking allowing the ants to construct their own ventilation may also make the colony hardier to temperature changes than the standard plastic box type setups.

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I found a video from antscanada on youtube which showed a Canadian aquarium that kept the fungus in stacks of clear plastic boxes,each with an exit led to  by a stick. Apparently the queen would emerge every so often to switch boxes. But a string going vertical might be another matter entirely, 

.especially if they are comfortable and would have to walk a long distance to actually get to ground outside.