How to release a colony?

[idahoantgirl]

Hi there!
I have a healthy and growing colony of Tetramorium ants (They fill 3/4 of a hybrid nest). I plan to keep them for this winter, but once they grow too big for the hybrid and if I can't control their growth by limiting protein, I will release them. I don't want to have a two nest colony, and I like the idea of having plenty of different species throughout my ant keeping experience. I caught them locally (on my block), so It is perfectly safe to release them in my area. How would I do this? Take the hydration off and take the cotton out of the openings and set it in my backyard?

[Idahoantguy]

I have also considered doing this in the furture when I leave for college. I think if you just open the ends of the tubes and leave it outside, expose them to sunlight, and they should find a place to live and move out. I'm not sure there's a great way other than that, and I have done some research myself and found nothing about releasing colonies into the wild. I wish I could say more on this subject, but that's all I've got. Let me know how it goes!

[idahoantgirl]

Yeah, I suppose that is how I will have to do it. I would really like to release them in a park, but seeing how it probably takes several hours that wouldn't work.

[ACaseoftheMondays]

Yeah, I suppose that is how I will have to do it. I would really like to release them in a park, but seeing how it probably takes several hours that wouldn't work.

Release them next to a large rock or something in your yard, and you can continue to observe them into the future. I think it would be interesting to see if and how they develop on their own after release. However, if you want to release them in a park, you could probably find an out of the way spot off a hiking trail or something. Maybe stick it under a bush and cover it partially with leaves or something. If you can find a good spot, it will probably be safe for a couple a days and you can return to collect it.

[Aerestes]

Yeah, I suppose that is how I will have to do it. I would really like to release them in a park, but seeing how it probably takes several hours that wouldn't work.

Release them next to a large rock or something in your yard, and you can continue to observe them into the future. I think it would be interesting to see if and how they develop on their own after release. However, if you want to release them in a park, you could probably find an out of the way spot off a hiking trail or something. Maybe stick it under a bush and cover it partially with leaves or something. If you can find a good spot, it will probably be safe for a couple a days and you can return to collect it.

I like this idea but it also I think it would make me apprehensive. It would be hard to watch a colony you cared for potentially wither and perish, or to watch them get warred and watch them die. like I said though, for me anyways haha

[idahoantgirl]

Yeah, I suppose that is how I will have to do it. I would really like to release them in a park, but seeing how it probably takes several hours that wouldn't work.

Release them next to a large rock or something in your yard, and you can continue to observe them into the future. I think it would be interesting to see if and how they develop on their own after release. However, if you want to release them in a park, you could probably find an out of the way spot off a hiking trail or something. Maybe stick it under a bush and cover it partially with leaves or something. If you can find a good spot, it will probably be safe for a couple a days and you can return to collect it.

I like this idea but it also I think it would make me apprehensive. It would be hard to watch a colony you cared for potentially wither and perish, or to watch them get warred and watch them die. like I said though, for me anyways haha

True... But it would also be cool if they lived. They would have a better chance of survival since they are already pretty large.

[Batspiderfish]

Myrmecologists tell us not to release captive ant colonies for risk of spreading illnesses they may have picked up under our care. This policy is based off of problems other pet keepers have caused. You could try to give/sell them to another person.

[Aerestes]

Myrmecologists tell us not to release captive ant colonies for risk of spreading illnesses they may have picked up under our care. This policy is based off of problems other pet keepers have caused. You could try to give/sell them to another person.

You'd think they'd pick up more diseases in the wild, since most ant keepers keep pretty tidy setups? What the hell could they pick up from humans that'd be worse than in an uncontrolled environment?

I like this idea but it also I think it would make me apprehensive. It would be hard to watch a colony you cared for potentially wither and perish, or to watch them get warred and watch them die. like I said though, for me anyways haha

True... But it would also be cool if they lived. They would have a better chance of survival since they are already pretty large.

I suppose you're absolutely right, its not as if they're like mammalian, avian or reptilian pets that would be at a severe disadvantage after a life of captivity, at least not that we would know of.