Can L. Umbratus host... L. Umbratus?

Questions from those who are just starting or considering getting into the ant keeping hobby. If you’re intimidated or confused by the in-depth posts of the other sections of this forum, feel free to post here, and we'll start from square one!

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mallonje
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Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:55 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Can L. Umbratus host... L. Umbratus?

Post: # 36176Post mallonje
Mon May 21, 2018 11:19 am

So I found a couple of L. Umbratus queens and have been introducing locally caught "wild" Lasius Neoniger workers in an attempt to found the queens.

However in no uncertain terms the queens seem to have taken a liking to killing the workers (18 between the two over the course of a week).

The only other Lasius mounds I can find are obviously L. Umbratus.

Now with no way of knowing if my queens came from this nest, and as this nest is L. Umbratus, would it be foolish to try and found my queens with other wild L. Umbratus workers?

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Batspiderfish
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Location: Maine

Re: Can L. Umbratus host... L. Umbratus?

Post: # 36179Post Batspiderfish
Mon May 21, 2018 12:03 pm

Yes, although the age of the workers can be important. That's why it's best to get callows or workers found within the nest rather than those at the surface. Better yet is to get a small, manageable number of pupae with a few workers, allow the workers to eclose with the help of their sisters, then add the callow workers and brood to your queen, returning the adult workers to their nest.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

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