I left the colony alone until morning. When I returned I put the end of the birch limb in to a 2 gallon plastic jar and cut off the other end and secured the screw on cap. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the jar just above the top of the limb and connected a darkened Omni Nest. As I slowly flooded the jar with water the ant moved to the new formicarium.
Once the birch limb had been totally submerged for about an hour I disconnected the jar from the Omni Nest and looked for a queen. No queen was to be found, but I did have about 80 or so ants and their brood; and MAYBE a queen I was not seeing.
The next morning I went to clean out the 2 gallon jar and discovered there were still live ants in the jar after being submerged for an hour. I tore the soggy wood limb in half and discovered that the majority of the colony was still alive and well. OK, so I reconnected a darkened test tube setup, vented the jar and set it in the direct sun. By the end of the day I had witnessed the workers move hundreds of eggs, larva, and themselves into the test tube, but still no sign of a queen. I attached the test tube to the Omni Nest, and began once again to clean the debris out of the collection jar. From underneath one little piece of wood scurried A QUEEN! I guess she was going down with the ship. I scooped her up and dropped her into the Omni Nest out-world. She was immediately surrounded by workers. The workers literally dragged her by the head, down the stairs and into one of the chambers by a hydration cell where they had begun to store the eggs and larva.
So, after 2 day I have a nice colony of 200-400 +ants with their queen and brood in a new Omni Nest large. Problem is, I do not have any good magnification apparatus yet, and I am not sure what I've got.
They are 4-6 mm long, with the queen not a lot larger, maybe 10 mm. Black on top but dark brown underneath and tip of gaster.
Any ID info is greatly appreciated. Any care suggestions?
Thank you.
