New ant colony caught on desk

Questions from those who are just starting or considering getting into the ant keeping hobby. If you’re intimidated or confused by the in-depth posts of the other sections of this forum, feel free to post here, and we'll start from square one!

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mokera101
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:27 pm
Location: Arlington Wa US

New ant colony caught on desk

Post: # 57212Post mokera101
Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:51 pm

Hey everyone, I've been looking into ant keeping for a while and my wife finally gave me permission to get a colony thanks to AntsCanada's YouTube channel. The other day though I got a phone call from my wife who was having a panic attack because my desk had been overrun by ants and she found them hoarding eggs under my keyboard. So when I got home I started pulling everything apart which included the wall behind my desk because I was only finding brood and I managed to find a live queen in my wall. Unfortunately, two others got squished in the process.

I have about 50 to 75 workers, 25ish brood, and the living queen(now named Sharlot) in a Tupperware container that has a baby powder barrier on it. I've given them a couple of cotton balls soaked in water and another soaked one soaked peach syrup. They have decided to claim a cough drop wrapper as their new home. I'm still working on identifying their exact species. They are small black ants that are really common in my area but, I'm not too worried about that right away.

What I really need is some help. I wasn't really ready to take on a Queen let alone a small colony right now. I'd like to get them moved into something better, I ordered some test tubes of Amazon that will be here in a couple of days. I would like to move them into one of the test tubes but I don't know if that would be too cramped for them. I would ideally like something that gives them a little more privacy but still allows me to get a look at Sharlot. My wife is also fascinated by them which is good because she was in a burn them with fire mood the night I caught them.

Any suggestions you guys have of something I can throw together as a quick formicarium while I set aside some money to get decent stuff would be much appreciated and also advice on what to feed them would be good. I'm still researching and if anyone has any good sources of info they can pass my way I am more then happy to read.

JoeHostile1
Posts: 409
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:51 am
Location: Canada
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Re: New ant colony caught on desk

Post: # 57244Post JoeHostile1
Tue Apr 16, 2019 6:50 am

A test tube or two will be fine for them until you get them or make them a proper nest. If their tetramorium or Lasius which I think they might be, they like being crowded together.
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans * Lasius Neoniger * Lasius Claviger * Messor Aciculatus * Myrmica Rubra * Camponotus Novaeboracensis * Camponotus Turkastanus * Pheidole Pallidula

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSfFtn6RegZ3F1NdS1g08NA

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