The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

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Preferably, you should have one end of the formicarium damp and one end relatively dry. This creates a humidity spectrum, where the ants choose what humidity level they like best. It isn't so much humidity level as it is variety.

Yes, they will produce alates, but so long as they aren't subject to air from outside, the alates won't try to fly away. The reason for this is that ant colonies naturally coordinate nuptial flights via pheromones (which are in the air around colonies). If your ant colony doesn't have any other colo...

Definitely not Monomorium.

Camponotus maculatus species complex.

I agree with idahoantgirl, diatomaceous earth is a cheap and safe way to get rid of arthropodic pests. You should probably go with that.

It is probably ant waste buildup as well as bacterium buildup. I wouldn't worry unless the cotton or test tube starts to mold, darken, or the ants start dying. One question to ask is "is any of the ants' food touching the cotton?" Stagnant water in contact with decaying matter turns yellowish in col...

It will most likely result in war and the death of your colony (the latter depending on how many wild ants you put in).

Finding queens is actually not that hard, all of my fertile queens were found within 1 acre of land. Just take a walk or go outside for 30 minutes every day and you'll find plenty. Most queens don't go back to their nests after they've mated, they go look for a place to start a new nest. That is the...

No, they will probably not mate after capture; ants are very picky about mating times. For housing, a popular alternative to test tubes is flower picks, though they are a bit smaller. They are also carried in most flower shops, so if you have one nearby, you can look there. Are the queens right outs...