120 replies to this topic

[dean_k]

Getting a Prenolepis imparis colony going. That would be my ultimate goal.

 

Or for something simplier..., get a colony going since I don't even have one.

 

I think ... ant keeping is tests of patience.

Edited by dean_k, September 30 2014 - 6:00 PM.

[dspdrew]

if you do like me and collect like 300 queens, you don't need any patience at all.

[Crystals]

We will be the ones laughing in about 6 months when all of those queens have workers and want food every couple of days. 

[dspdrew]

They already do. I'm down to 200 now anyways.

[Gregory2455]

We will be the ones laughing in about 6 months when all of those queens have workers and want food every couple of days. 

 

I am closing in on fifty, its very fun to test tube feed three colonies for three hours at a time at once actually.

[DesertAntz]

Drew is the Ash Ketchum of ants. 

 

"Gotta catch 'em all!" 

[dermy]

LOL Pokemon

 

Drew get ready to be awake at 3am feeding the babies

[Gregory2455]

It seems to me that any slave-making species would be very difficult to maintain in captivity.  You would have to break into wild nests quite often to provide them with enough host pupae.

I do believe you may have to "manually" keep the population low.

[AntsAreUs]

I don't want to miss any nuptial flights, I missed the biggest nuptial flight in my place because I had a heat stroke. 

[Gregory2455]

Man, a heat stroke? What was the flight? 

[AntsAreUs]

Man, a heat stroke? What was the flight? 

I missed Camponotus, Lasius, Formica, Solenopsis, Brachymyrmex, and some others.  I was planning on getting Ponera and Solenopsis, but nope. Hey and I figured out my mealworm farm has mights and my superworms but the thing is I don't know how to get rid of the ones on the superworms so my only option is to get rid of them as of now.  I'm having a hard time with breeding feeders because a huge amount of different mite everywhere. 

[Gregory2455]

Ever considered those mite repellent mats? I do not know if those are either safe for touch, or safe to touch ants with after touching them though...

[AntsAreUs]

Ever considered those mite repellent mats? I do not know if those are either safe for touch, or safe to touch ants with after touching them though...

I do not know where to buy them.

[AntsAreUs]

Also there is like a powder substance that grows in my containers in which is really, really small and if they are mites I haven't seen them move, well I think I have but I'm not sure.

[Gregory2455]

Probably not mites. I do not know of mites that are the size of dust, other than dust mites, but those cannot hurt ants. It is probably a fungus of some sort.

[AntsAreUs]

Probably not mites. I do not know of mites that are the size of dust, other than dust mites, but those cannot hurt ants. It is probably a fungus of some sort.

Well I'm having a pupa die off everytime I get pupa so something is the matter, me and Crystal having been trying to work it out and so far nothing has happened except they start to change but they don't get there wings out which leads to death so I don't know how to fix them. None of this has affected my superworms yet.

[DesertAntz]

After more thought I believe I want to try my hand at a leaf cutter type ant. They look absolutely amazing but I'm worried I won't have room for them in a proper set up in my apartment. Me and my girlfriends roommate isn't exactly welcoming of having tons of ant colonies in the place. 

 

Odontomachus clarus is definitely on the list too. I know where a colony is on a golf course so I'm going to be scoping out that area frequently around the time the mating chart says they fly. Since I moved up to Tempe I guess I'll try searching for them up here. I doubt they'll be anywhere in the city but I could be wrong. I like traveling to the outskirts to hike anyway. 

 

Veromessor pergandei is on my list too. I just love how big they are. Now that I think about it, Odontomachus makes them look small haha. Well, not "small" but you can tell they are a tad smaller. 

[Gregory2455]

Hehehe, I will trade you an Acromyrmex versicolor for an Odontomachus. I love Odontomachus just about as much as I love Attine and Myrmecocystus...

Thanks for bumping this up so I did not have to.

[DesertAntz]

You talk about moving out here. Move out here! 

 

Rent is lower than in Cali I promise. 

[Gregory2455]

Hehe, this is the age of 2 day shipping and Paypal transactions! We can work something out.