Odontomachus care

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

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Yestordsd287

Odontomachus care

Post: # 20825Post Yestordsd287
Mon May 08, 2017 9:54 pm

hello guys! im very new to ant keeping and i got started on Sunday.
this happened whenat night i spoted a very big ant with only one side with wings running on the floor. i understood it was a queen. i proceeded to catch her and put her in a test tube set up. i tried feeding the queen some honey but after some sips she just started ignoring it. i got worried at that because she is a semi claustral queen. the next morning i observed she sheded the last of her wings. i watch some information in internet about this ants diet and went searching for bugs. i gave her a baby roach very small pre killed an 2 beetles that were very small. when she saw them she started panickig and running in circles not even getting close to the food. she alwars hangs on the cottons and usually when shes on the dry side she tries to find a way to escape. she eats scarcely and has not laid eggs, i caught her Saturday May 6. i really need some advise on this species because its the first queen i have caugt and i want a good colony out of that base. so i need to know what to feed her, how to feed her, how make her comfortable, how to have the setup, and some basic care because i dont know much about care of semi-claustral species. thank you and please answer me as soon as possible

Yestordsd287

Re: Odontomachus care

Post: # 20826Post Yestordsd287
Mon May 08, 2017 10:40 pm

oh here are some picture if im wrong that it is an odontomachus
Image
Image

JackPayne
Posts: 287
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:28 am
Location: Australia,NSW

Re: Odontomachus care

Post: # 20827Post JackPayne
Mon May 08, 2017 10:53 pm

Yep it definetely is.
Hi I'm Jack, How are you?

xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Re: Odontomachus care

Post: # 20829Post xTNxANTMANx
Mon May 08, 2017 11:47 pm

First off with a semi-claustral species you don't need to feed them directly in the test tube. You need to attach your test tube to a small foraging area or put the test tube in the forging area itself so she can wonder and find the food on her own. I don't know much about this species but I do know that much about semi-claustral Queens.
Also if you just caught her a couple days ago she is probably still adjusting to her new environment. Get the foraging area set up for her however you want it then leave her be for some time. Put food in the forging area every few days and only check on her maybe once a week (or longer) and she will do her thing when she's ready. Ant keeping is a hobby that must come with patience. Learning to be patient sooner than later will be extremely helpful :-)
Keeping:
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica pallidefulva x2
Formica subsericea x4
Lasius sp
Tetramorium immigrans x2
Dorymyrmex bureni

Founding:
Formica pallidefulva
Unknown sp x2

Yestordsd287

Re: Odontomachus care

Post: # 20837Post Yestordsd287
Tue May 09, 2017 5:43 am

xTNxANTMANx wrote:
Mon May 08, 2017 11:47 pm
First off with a semi-claustral species you don't need to feed them directly in the test tube. You need to attach your test tube to a small foraging area or put the test tube in the forging area itself so she can wonder and find the food on her own. I don't know much about this species but I do know that much about semi-claustral Queens.
Also if you just caught her a couple days ago she is probably still adjusting to her new environment. Get the foraging area set up for her however you want it then leave her be for some time. Put food in the forging area every few days and only check on her maybe once a week (or longer) and she will do her thing when she's ready. Ant keeping is a hobby that must come with patience. Learning to be patient sooner than later will be extremely helpful :-)
Thank you! I will try to set up a small foraging area for her and feed her each couple of days or so.

Martialis
Posts: 1576
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 5:30 pm
Location: Indiana

Re: Odontomachus care

Post: # 20838Post Martialis
Tue May 09, 2017 6:44 am

Nice catch! :) Odontomachus can be quite picky, so offer her small, soft bodied arthropods.
Keeper of

Selliing:

Yestordsd287

Re: Odontomachus care

Post: # 20846Post Yestordsd287
Tue May 09, 2017 1:36 pm

Martialis wrote:
Tue May 09, 2017 6:44 am
Nice catch! :) Odontomachus can be quite picky, so offer her small, soft bodied arthropods.
Thank you

Yestordsd287

Re: Odontomachus care

Post: # 20847Post Yestordsd287
Tue May 09, 2017 1:39 pm

I got a small platic container as a foraging area. Its bog wnough for the queen to forage and eplore. I wondered if i should add dirt or sand? And if i should how do i sterilize dirt? And also can you tell me some non harmful substances that can keep the queen from escaping the container? The walls are not too low or too high about 2 to 2 and a half inchesof height.

Martialis
Posts: 1576
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 5:30 pm
Location: Indiana

Re: Odontomachus care

Post: # 20859Post Martialis
Tue May 09, 2017 4:00 pm

Sterilizing dirt is not necessary. I would put a barrier of some sort, although Odontomachus aren't famous for their climbing skills.
Keeper of

Selliing:

Yestordsd287

Re: Odontomachus care

Post: # 20862Post Yestordsd287
Tue May 09, 2017 4:07 pm

Martialis wrote:
Tue May 09, 2017 4:00 pm
Sterilizing dirt is not necessary. I would put a barrier of some sort, although Odontomachus aren't famous for their climbing skills.
yeah i read about theri poor climbing skils but still their jaws are pretty menacing. pluss i really need some sort of protection barrier because i believe my sister is alergic to ant bites. id like to know a homemade barrier for protection if someone can tell me how to make one.
Image
Image
the pics of the container

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