Hello from Massachusetts!

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mallonje
Posts: 30
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:55 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Hello from Massachusetts!

Post: # 35117Post mallonje
Sun Apr 15, 2018 4:52 pm

I am completely new to the hobby.

I had made my own farm back when I was a kid - it was a cocktail olive jar inside a peanut butter jar with sand and about 40 or so worker sugar ants. I recall that setup lasted for almost a year. This led to an interest in keeping insects as pets: various stick bugs, tarantulas, and scorpions, all culminating in the straw that broke my mother's back - madagascar hissing cockroaches.

I stumbled upon AntsCanada while surfing YouTube for science videos out of boredom one snow day and now the kids and I are very interestested in raising local native species this summer.

We've already seen one nuptial flight, and have found some males. But no queens yet.

Any advice is always accepted and would be greatly appreciated.

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antnest8
Posts: 1438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:11 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: Hello from Massachusetts!

Post: # 35139Post antnest8
Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:18 pm

queens can be found walking on sidewalks and looking at water sources like birdbaths, pools and here is one i just heard, the condensation on cars in the morning :lol:

also some words from my failure :lol: . if you plan on keeping only one or a few colonies of ants. don't release extra queens/colonies until the colony you want to keep is mature (20-50 ants depending on species). just in case a sudden decline of a colony just in case they can not recover

and WELCOME :D
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
  • Ant Care Sheets
    Queen Hunting
    How To Identify Ants
Goal is to become #2 poster on the forum

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mallonje
Posts: 30
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:55 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Hello from Massachusetts!

Post: # 35456Post mallonje
Thu Apr 26, 2018 2:27 pm

Welp I've caught my first queen!

A P. Imparis.

We had a pretty nice day Tuesday so I took my kids out and in my backyard and there she was, just walking on my picnic table. I had found a few dead males earlier in the day, so I'm hoping she's mated but only time will tell.

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Hello from Massachusetts

Post: # 35480Post AntsDakota
Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:13 pm

If you want some tips on keeping Prenolepis, go to the topic "Ant Care Sheets". Antnest 18 here wrote it, while I wrote the rest.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Hello from Massachusetts!

Post: # 35481Post AntsDakota
Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:17 pm

Also, they are polygynous, so you can put many queens in a colony and they will get along. So if you find more queens, please consider this. You might want to look for more queens on tree bark. They love to congregate there.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

Mortamir
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 12:00 pm
Location: Washington

Re: Hello from Massachusetts!

Post: # 35494Post Mortamir
Sat Apr 28, 2018 9:46 am

Hello and welcome to the ant world
Keeper of:
Camponotus Laevigatus
Formica sp.
Lasius Flavus
Camponotus Modoc
Polyrhacis Dives
Camponotus friedae

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