How to extract Queen from wild colony?
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How to extract Queen from wild colony?
I am on a search to find a queen ant and want to know the best way to extract a queen from a wild colony?
Thank you
Thank you
- idahoantgirl
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
- Location: Idaho, USA
Re: How to extract Queen from wild colony?
It is very difficult to impossible. YOu should try to catch a queen that has just mated instead.
Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile
Re: How to extract Queen from wild colony?
It's easy. I did it just yesterday. Just lift up rocks and logs until you find a colony with a queen. However, don't just "extract" the queen. Take as many workers and as much brood as possible. Queens taken from their colonies usually get stressed and die.StormAnts444 wrote:I am on a search to find a queen ant and want to know the best way to extract a queen from a wild colony?
Thank you
Re: How to extract Queen from wild colony?
This is difficult for most species, most of the time. Some species queens will stay shallow at times (under rocks, or debris), and will make it easy in some instances.
Just keep in mind, if you do find one from an established colony it will be very stressful and possibly mean the death of the queen, and it will absolutely be death for the rest of the colony left behind.
Just keep in mind, if you do find one from an established colony it will be very stressful and possibly mean the death of the queen, and it will absolutely be death for the rest of the colony left behind.
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AntsCanada GAN Farmer
Re: How to extract Queen from wild colony?
It may be frustrating trying to find a queen post nuptial flight but its way more rewarding. Even if you don't find one this autumn there is always next spring/summer. Plus taking a queen from a wild colony would mean destroying the colony and most likely death. And more than likely while trying to dig the queen out you will kill her. Its really not worth it. Just my two cents.
- Batspiderfish
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Re: How to extract Queen from wild colony?
Yeah, don't go tearing up ant nests just to find a queen. It is destructive and impatient.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.
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Re: How to extract Queen from wild colony?
I am curious about this as well, only because we have Myrmica Rubra as an invasive species and there is a small outbreak within walking distance. I know doing this is a bad idea but I also kind of want to help solve the outbreak while not just killing them all. I also want to state I understand my interest in doing so with a fire ant nest is insanely dangerous.. and really, really dumb.
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Re: How to extract Queen from wild colony?
I thought ants would work without a queen... So the current colony would really only die of natural causes anyways. Taking the queen is just moving where the future colony is gonna continue to grow. (That is if the queen doesn't die of stress first)larynx wrote: ↑Sun Sep 18, 2016 7:06 pmThis is difficult for most species, most of the time. Some species queens will stay shallow at times (under rocks, or debris), and will make it easy in some instances.
Just keep in mind, if you do find one from an established colony it will be very stressful and possibly mean the death of the queen, and it will absolutely be death for the rest of the colony left behind.
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Re: How to extract Queen from wild colony?
They do work without a queen, they just have no one to reproduce, so they work like a normal colony until they die of old age.AntSprites wrote: ↑Thu Oct 04, 2018 9:42 amI thought ants would work without a queen... So the current colony would really only die of natural causes anyways. Taking the queen is just moving where the future colony is gonna continue to grow. (That is if the queen doesn't die of stress first)larynx wrote: ↑Sun Sep 18, 2016 7:06 pmThis is difficult for most species, most of the time. Some species queens will stay shallow at times (under rocks, or debris), and will make it easy in some instances.
Just keep in mind, if you do find one from an established colony it will be very stressful and possibly mean the death of the queen, and it will absolutely be death for the rest of the colony left behind.
"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
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