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Re: Trying to get my son started

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 7:41 am
by UnrealSparks
Hi kadinsdel! Welcome to the forum! :)

Considering you mentioned snow I guess it's getting pretty cold in your area and ants are surely hibernating now. So, even if you'd buy a colony, it should be in hibernation (as a GAN Farmer myself I put all of my colonies in hibernation during the cold months).

Unfortunately, for this reason, I'd recommend waiting until Spring. I know 4 more months of waiting are painful, but going outside in search of queens, I can assure you it's one of the best experiences about ant keeping! :D

Do you already know what species are you looking for? And which are present in your region?

Re: Trying to get my son started

Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2018 4:41 am
by UnrealSparks
When you'll have the chance you could try to take some pictures of them and post them on the forum to get an identification if you want. :)

Re: Trying to get my son started

Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2018 10:59 am
by antnest8
Welcome kadinsdel! I do agree with the idea of waiting until spring. It could be hard because I had to wait also. But when the ants start flying it will all make up for it. Here is a list of ants that you can look out for in spring.

1. prenolepis imparis: these orangeish brown queens are hard to find but are the first to fly. also known as the winter ant these ants like the cold over warmth these colonies are also polygenous. look out for them in February-May when the temperatures reach 70 F (they flew in late April last year)
2. Any Camponotus: these large queens are easy to see are are my personal favorite currently, they fly during may-july and are easy to find plus they are kept a lot so there is lots of info on them.
3. Lasius umbratus: these social parasites can be found during winter even! found under rocks and such. the only problem with them is that they are extremely hard to keep and have only been able to be kept for the last 5+ years. also they have a tendency to die randomly before they find a host colony.
4. Myrmica: these queens can be found walking outside after winter looking for food for there brood because of their semi-claustral nature. fun to keep and polygenous these queens are OK for beginners (They Were Mikey Bustos fist ants!) the only downside it that these ants can sting

Hope you found this helpful