95 replies to this topic

[karenmdickey]

We are in Columbia, SC.  We bought our Nephew, who is 10, the starter set ($80 one).  He needs to get ants and is interested in Black Crazy ants.  If he can't get these what should he get and how should he get them?

[Temperateants]

Black crazy ants are highly invasive. Not only that, for most species it'll be awhile before you need a 80$ setup. 

[AntsDakota]

Black Crazy Ants are not present in most areas of the United States. AntsCanada tends to focus on tropical species, but they only represent a tiny fraction of North American diversity. You should research on native species in your area, which you will probably find equally interesting.

 

You see, AntsCanada is sort of like the 'Hollywood' of the ant keeping community. He may have the most followers and most entertaining content, however just because a Hollywood film says something doesn't necessarily mean it's true. The same goes for AntsCanada. He's great at getting people's attention and making ants look very appealing, however once you get into keeping ants there are many more resources which are more in-depth and accurate than AntsCanada. Not saying there's anything wrong with him, I'm just saying that there is more to ant keeping than just him.

 

Also, AntsCanada formicariums are plastic, which ants don't necessarily appreciate.  Tar Heel Ants makes much better formicariums. 

Edited by AntsDakota, July 28 2020 - 8:26 AM.

[Spazmops]

He lives in the Philippines, so many ants he keeps can’t be natively found in North America.

[DDD101DDD]

Maybe you can get Tapinoma sessile, a species that is similar to Paratrechina longicornis in the sense that they inbreed, but they're native to North America. Just a fair warning, antscanada starter kits are actually not very good starter kits. The nests are far too large for a starting colony. I would suggest raising the ants in a tube until they have around 100 workers.

 

 

Edit(I thought you lived in Canada sorry)

Edited by DDD101DDD, July 28 2020 - 9:07 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Tetramorium immigrans would be an ideal species for a youngster to start with. Raise them in a test tube placed in an escape proof tub of some sort.

[Antkid12]

Tetramorium immigrans would be an ideal species for a youngster to start with. Raise them in a test tube placed in an escape proof tub of some sort.

I concur.

[ANTdrew]

Here is a great seller in your state: https://www.formicul...lk/#entry154299

[Froggy]

Just like other people said, it's not preferred to start ants in a formicarium, test tube setups are widely agreed upon as the best method of raising ants, after they grow out of the test tube you can put them into a formicarium with an outworld, there are a lot of great videos online about making test tube setups, AntsCanada himself has made a couple, here are some links to videos that cover the subject:

 

 

this one for later on

Edited by Froggy, July 28 2020 - 9:09 AM.

[Antkid12]

Here is a great seller in your state: https://www.formicul...lk/#entry154299

I was gonna post that.

[Froggy]

Also, if your going to catch queens in your yard then http://antmaps.org/? is a good place to get an idea of what natives are in your area

Edited by Froggy, July 28 2020 - 9:57 AM.

[Dry_Twig]

If you are new then https://www.formicul...-for-beginners/ would be a great place to start. 

[ANTdrew]

The OP is probably thoroughly overwhelmed now.

[Kaelwizard]

Just so you know, ants (except Pogonomyrmrx occidentalis, the western harvester ant) are illegal to ship across state borders without a permit so don’t try to buy from someone living in another state or country. Tetramorium immigrans (pavement ants) as other people have stated would be an ideal species. Some species that is very large but grow slowly and are easy to care for are species in the genus Camponotus (carpenter ants). You can find queens during nuptial flights and raise them in a test tube setup, or buy a colony from someone in your state.

[Croux]

I think a child would appreciate camponotus, larger, not crazy reproductive or aggressive, and easy to observe as they don't care about light, really.

Once you see a species that you can legally own, and realistically take care of, go anting or purchase a fertile queen from someone, and keep a copy of a care sheet.

[AntsDakota]

I think a child would appreciate camponotus

While your reasons are valid, Camponotus also take a ridiculous amount of time to develop. If your child is patient, then Camponotus is definitely a good choice. However, if you're looking for a more fast growing species, Tetramorium immigrans is what you're looking for.

[Devi]

 

I think a child would appreciate camponotus

While your reasons are valid, Camponotus also take a ridiculous amount of time to develop. If your child is patient, then Camponotus is definitely a good choice. However, if you're looking for a more fast growing species, Tetramorium immigrans is what you're looking for.

 

Agreed, Camponotus take a loooong time to grow, and a tetramorium immagrans would probably be better.  I have a couple, and they grow quite fast.

[Vendayn]

Should throw away the antscanada nest, its not good for any ants and it isn't good to support him since he keeps invasive ants and releases invasives to the wild. Any pet kept indoors should NOT go outdoors and should be killed native or not, and antscanada teaches the opposite. For formicariums, you should buy a tarheel formicarium which are a ton better. Or instead make your own and you can have a project to work on with your kid.

Edited by Vendayn, July 28 2020 - 5:25 PM.

[Froggy]

Should throw away the antscanada nest, its not good for any ants and it isn't good to support him since he keeps invasive ants and releases invasives to the wild. Any pet kept indoors should NOT go outdoors and should be killed native or not, and antscanada teaches the opposite. For formicariums, you should buy a tarheel formicarium which are a ton better. Or instead make your own and you can have a project to work on with your kid.

Why should you kill natives instead of releasing them? I would understand invasives but natives? Also, the kits are like 80$, I wouldn't just throw that away.

[Kaelwizard]

Yeah that is a little harsh. I don’t think releasing a native colony will do so much if you put it back where you found it. Like it would be different if you dumped it somewhere far away from where you found it, but if not I don’t think capturing a colony with a container will give anything near where you released it the animal equivalent of Ebola.

Edited by Kaelwizard, July 28 2020 - 6:15 PM.