103 replies to this topic

[Swirlysnowflake]

just curious, how are people caught with illegal ants? do other people report them? 

[MinigunL5]

just curious, how are people caught with illegal ants? do other people report them? 

I've never heard of people being caught and experienced ant-keepers have told me that the chances of getting caught are next to none.

[MinigunL5]

There is a reason. This illegal damage can hurt the Community greatly

I'm sure it has happened, but I doubt it happens very often.

[KitsAntVa]

They probably only gave us harvester ants because they didn’t want to deal with us anymore and we’re hoping we wouldn’t use tarheelants

[TennesseeAnts]

 

 

I already have many founding nests for these, but my ultimate plan will change the world! its basically just two phalanx with two sides connected to each other which allows around 200-300 ants I think to live in it. I plan on connecting more as time goes on because these are water tower gals so what do you guys think?
Also i've been getting mixed messages, do they need hibernation or not ?

I really would not advise you go through with this. If you're caught the fine can be something like $5k. Not to mention the USDA is finally starting to trust us antkeepers with inter-state selling of ants (without needing permits that is). If you do for some reason decide to buy these ants, please, for the sake of all that is holy, don't get caught.

 

Edit: Also, just fyi, there's plenty of ants in VA that are very similar to Novomessor. The native Aphaenogaster are just as cool, and are legal to keep....

 

Edit #2: Here's a couple pictures of two ants. Can you tell which one's which?

 

 

 

the upper one’s novomessor isn't it? its more leggy and has that big spike (which is what i like about them) 

what ant is the lower one? it looks deceivingly similar.

 

Yes, Novomessor do have a fairly impressive propodeal spine, don't they? The bottom ant is a VA native, Aphaenogaster picea. I love my colony, and they're very similar to Novomessor. They were once even the same genus, and collect seeds and pieces of fungi.

[MinigunL5]

 

 

 

I already have many founding nests for these, but my ultimate plan will change the world! its basically just two phalanx with two sides connected to each other which allows around 200-300 ants I think to live in it. I plan on connecting more as time goes on because these are water tower gals so what do you guys think?
Also i've been getting mixed messages, do they need hibernation or not ?

I really would not advise you go through with this. If you're caught the fine can be something like $5k. Not to mention the USDA is finally starting to trust us antkeepers with inter-state selling of ants (without needing permits that is). If you do for some reason decide to buy these ants, please, for the sake of all that is holy, don't get caught.

 

Edit: Also, just fyi, there's plenty of ants in VA that are very similar to Novomessor. The native Aphaenogaster are just as cool, and are legal to keep....

 

Edit #2: Here's a couple pictures of two ants. Can you tell which one's which?

 

 

 

the upper one’s novomessor isn't it? its more leggy and has that big spike (which is what i like about them) 

what ant is the lower one? it looks deceivingly similar.

 

Yes, Novomessor do have a fairly impressive propodeal spine, don't they? The bottom ant is a VA native, Aphaenogaster picea. I love my colony, and they're very similar to Novomessor. They were once even the same genus, and collect seeds and pieces of fungi.

 

I have an A. picea queen with larvae. I really hope she get workers after she hibernates.

[KitsAntVa]

I already have many founding nests for these, but my ultimate plan will change the world! its basically just two phalanx with two sides connected to each other which allows around 200-300 ants I think to live in it. I plan on connecting more as time goes on because these are water tower gals so what do you guys think?
Also i've been getting mixed messages, do they need hibernation or not ?

I really would not advise you go through with this. If you're caught the fine can be something like $5k. Not to mention the USDA is finally starting to trust us antkeepers with inter-state selling of ants (without needing permits that is). If you do for some reason decide to buy these ants, please, for the sake of all that is holy, don't get caught.
 
Edit: Also, just fyi, there's plenty of ants in VA that are very similar to Novomessor. The native Aphaenogaster are just as cool, and are legal to keep....
 
Edit #2: Here's a couple pictures of two ants. Can you tell which one's which?
 

 

the upper one’s novomessor isn't it? its more leggy and has that big spike (which is what i like about them) 
what ant is the lower one? it looks deceivingly similar.

Yes, Novomessor do have a fairly impressive propodeal spine, don't they? The bottom ant is a VA native, Aphaenogaster picea. I love my colony, and they're very similar to Novomessor. They were once even the same genus, and collect seeds and pieces of fungi.

I’m sorry but I cannot stand apheanogaster picea they were my first ever colony and never ever foraged, layer eggs after 7 workers or even nest in their nesting place. The apheanogaster I had was a good species to keep and very fun sometimes.

[MinigunL5]

They probably only gave us harvester ants because they didn’t want to deal with us anymore and we’re hoping we wouldn’t use tarheelants

No, they probably did it so that scientists didn't have to apply for a permit every time they needed some new Pogonomyrmex in the lab.

[KitsAntVa]

They probably only gave us harvester ants because they didn’t want to deal with us anymore and we’re hoping we wouldn’t use tarheelants

No, they probably did it so that scientists didn't have to apply for a permit every time they needed some new Pogonomyrmex in the lab.

I didn’t mean it the way you think (ima mind reader) I meant they wanted them to escape and sting us so either we would never keep ants again because of the experience or because of the paralysis, this is only a joke though.

[TennesseeAnts]

 

 

 

 

I already have many founding nests for these, but my ultimate plan will change the world! its basically just two phalanx with two sides connected to each other which allows around 200-300 ants I think to live in it. I plan on connecting more as time goes on because these are water tower gals so what do you guys think?
Also i've been getting mixed messages, do they need hibernation or not ?

I really would not advise you go through with this. If you're caught the fine can be something like $5k. Not to mention the USDA is finally starting to trust us antkeepers with inter-state selling of ants (without needing permits that is). If you do for some reason decide to buy these ants, please, for the sake of all that is holy, don't get caught.
 
Edit: Also, just fyi, there's plenty of ants in VA that are very similar to Novomessor. The native Aphaenogaster are just as cool, and are legal to keep....
 
Edit #2: Here's a couple pictures of two ants. Can you tell which one's which?
 

 

the upper one’s novomessor isn't it? its more leggy and has that big spike (which is what i like about them) 
what ant is the lower one? it looks deceivingly similar.

Yes, Novomessor do have a fairly impressive propodeal spine, don't they? The bottom ant is a VA native, Aphaenogaster picea. I love my colony, and they're very similar to Novomessor. They were once even the same genus, and collect seeds and pieces of fungi.

I’m sorry but I cannot stand apheanogaster picea they were my first ever colony and never ever foraged, layer eggs after 7 workers or even nest in their nesting place. The apheanogaster I had was a good species to keep and very fun sometimes.

 

7 workers is extremely early to be foraging, and Aphaenogaster picea are nocturnal, so its not surprising you didn't see them forage.

[Swirlysnowflake]

i like aphaenogaster, idek why

 

on a kinda unrelated note, how do all the people on ebay selling ant colonies through the usa not get caught? there are tons of people doing it ;-; 

[MinigunL5]

i like aphaenogaster, idek why

 

on a kinda unrelated note, how do all the people on ebay selling ant colonies through the usa not get caught? there are tons of people doing it ;-; 

Government doesn't care. That's why the laws are so [censored] in the first place.

[TennesseeAnts]

i like aphaenogaster, idek why

 

on a kinda unrelated note, how do all the people on ebay selling ant colonies through the usa not get caught? there are tons of people doing it ;-; 

Because eBay doesn't care. I have been meaning to report them to the USDA, but haven't gotten around to it.

[Swirlysnowflake]

huh ok. seems kinda weird that they have never seen it. a search for "ant colonies" brings up tons and tons of ants. i thought they (at least sometimes) checked places like eBay.

(SORRY FOR HIJACKING YOUR THREAD KITSANTVA ill stop now)

[MinigunL5]

huh ok. seems kinda weird that they have never seen it. a search for "ant colonies" brings up tons and tons of ants. i thought they (at least sometimes) checked places like eBay.

(SORRY FOR HIJACKING YOUR THREAD KITSANTVA ill stop now)

As I said before, no one cares. The USDA doesn't care and therefore, neither does eBay.

[KitsAntVa]

At first when I was getting into ants I looked on eBay but the colony’s were to expensive so I caught my own, cooler ants didn’t even phase me until a couple months later. But the people on eBay get away with it by selling them as toys or as live feeder food.

[CheetoLord02]

 

 

 

I already have many founding nests for these, but my ultimate plan will change the world! its basically just two phalanx with two sides connected to each other which allows around 200-300 ants I think to live in it. I plan on connecting more as time goes on because these are water tower gals so what do you guys think?
Also i've been getting mixed messages, do they need hibernation or not ?

I really would not advise you go through with this. If you're caught the fine can be something like $5k. Not to mention the USDA is finally starting to trust us antkeepers with inter-state selling of ants (without needing permits that is). If you do for some reason decide to buy these ants, please, for the sake of all that is holy, don't get caught.

 

Edit: Also, just fyi, there's plenty of ants in VA that are very similar to Novomessor. The native Aphaenogaster are just as cool, and are legal to keep....

 

Edit #2: Here's a couple pictures of two ants. Can you tell which one's which?

 

 

 

the upper one’s novomessor isn't it? its more leggy and has that big spike (which is what i like about them) 

what ant is the lower one? it looks deceivingly similar.

 

Yes, Novomessor do have a fairly impressive propodeal spine, don't they? The bottom ant is a VA native, Aphaenogaster picea. I love my colony, and they're very similar to Novomessor. They were once even the same genus, and collect seeds and pieces of fungi.

 

Sorry to burst your bubble, but Novomessor and Aphaenogaster are shockingly different. I've kept 7 species of Aphaenogaster and none of them can even compare to Novomessor. Without even mentioning that Novomessor nanitics are larger than mature Aphaenogaster lamellidens workers (largest eastern Aphaenogaster) they also differ in pretty much every other way.

Novomessor are mass-recruiters, have social stomachs, grow insanely quickly. Aphaenogaster are primarily solitary foragers, have no social stomach, and don't grow particularly fast. And that really just scratches the surface.

I don't want to sound like I'm supporting illegal trade, but anybody who does import ants illegally knows the risks. Not to mention the risks themselves are embarrassingly low. The USDA isn't "out to get" antkeepers. Unless a person is specifically reported for having exotic ants with a detailed report, a name and address, and possibly other info, there's no way the USDA would be able to find them and/or "catch" them. If the guy wants to keep Novomessor, let him do so. Clearly himself and the seller are fine with it, and if so that's their decision to make.

The illegal ant trade debate is the biggest issue in the hobby, and in my opinion the only way to resolve it is to ignore it. We tend to forget that isopods have the exact same restrictions by the USDA that ants have. When was the last time you heard an isopod hobbyist complaining about importing exotic isopods. When was the last time you heard about somebody getting "busted" for having exotic isopods. There is absolutely no chance that this guy importing Novomessor to Virginia could cause any harm to his ecosystem, as a desert species would be entirely unfit to survive in the Eastern US. There is no risk of him doing this other than the chance that somebody finds out his address and reports him to the USDA. If you see somebody posting about an exotic species, it's not your "duty" to go immediately to the comments and blast them for "illegal trade". Just pretend they have a permit or something for your own peace of mind and move on. It's not worth any of our time to keep making these argument threads out of nowhere just to discuss the same issue, make no valid points ever, change nobody's mind, and then do it all again a month later. It's getting ridiculous.

[ANTdrew]

Much easier is if the people doing this don’t post about it on a public forum. Don’t ask, don’t tell.
There are so many amazing species in our state that I don’t think this is necessary, but to each his own.

[Ants_Dakota]

Much easier is if the people doing this don’t post about it on a public forum. Don’t ask, don’t tell.
There are so many amazing species in our state that I don’t think this is necessary, but to each his own.

i fully agree. i know every ant that is not in our state seems way 'cooler' than ours. my example is lasius neoniger. they are as common as sand here, yet others have voiced that they would love to have even 1 queen. obviously if you want to get that colony, i am not stopping you, but there are awesome local species as well.