4 replies to this topic

[Saltynuts]

Anyone who lives in the area knows that fire ants are about 99.99% of what you see around here.  But I'd really like to keep an ant colony of other than fire ants.  Does anyone know any areas in/around Houston where I might find ants other than fire ants?  I do a good amount of walking, so I'd like to drive over to those areas to get some walking in looking for meandering fertile queens. 

 

Thanks!

[super_oil]

It's very important to look closely and pay attention to details. For me, ants are always smaller than I expect. A few months ago I, too, thought my area barely had any ant species except for fire ants. But I was walking fast and not looking carefully enough. Try looking at every tree you come across, there might be Camponotus or Crematogaster. Pay attention to the soil, and you might find small species like Pheidole or Nylanderia. Walking to find dealates isn't always the best method to find queen ants, but you can try walking early morning and you might get different results. You can also try black lighting which I believe will give you better results than looking for queens by foot. I use a 15 watt black light I got from amazon with a cord extention and placed it under a white sheet to amplify the attaraction, I've caught most of my queens this way. Finding queen ants isn't as easy as looking up a video and going outside sometimes, obtaining desired queens can take time. Where and how queens can be found can take getting used to the area you live in and can be different for everyone.

[Saltynuts]

Thank you super_oil.  On your black light/white sheet - you place it there I assume at night or in the evening, and you wait to see queens land on it and pick them off? 

 

Thanks!

[super_oil]

I black light usually from 8:40 pm to 9:40 pm, during this time alates with wings will land around the black light. Most alate you find at a black light will be infertile but there will likely be a lot a alates. If an alate shows signs of wanting to fly away after being captured they are 100% infertile. 

[dermy]

. If an alate shows signs of wanting to fly away after being captured they are 100% infertile. 

I'd like to know how you know this? I can get if you are right near a nest and catching them as they fly. But what about after the flights, surely 100% of winged queens that try to fly [which to me seems like a natural instinct] aren't all infertile.