Texas red Harvester queens

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Catastrophe68
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2018 9:15 pm
Location: Lubbock, Tx

Texas red Harvester queens

Post: # 47139Post Catastrophe68
Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:04 pm

Okay so i have some harvester ant queens and i have them in test tube setups. I know they are semi claustrial so i gave them a variety of seeds. I was just curious if keeping them in test tube setups would be the best idea or if i should move them to a container with some soil and also i was curious as to what i should actually be feeding them. I can tell they ate a little bit of the seeds but one of them is trying to get out of her test tube possible to find better shelter ? Or better food ? This is the first time i've housed harvester ants and im quite excited about it also. This is one of the main species i've been hunting for and i finally got it so i don't want to mess this up.and yes they are all separated in their on test tubes . let me know what you think asap please!!

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idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: Texas red Harvester queens

Post: # 47408Post idahoantgirl
Mon Aug 13, 2018 8:55 pm

Can we have pics of your setup? In my opinion moving them to a dirt setup causes issues later. It makes it very difficult to move them, and you can't see what issues are happening underneath the surface. Ants need protein and sugar. I would also provide mealworms/crickets/fruitflies and sugar substances /honey water/sugarwater/ fruits/jellies/ ect
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

TheRealAntMan
Posts: 620
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: Texas red Harvester queens

Post: # 47415Post TheRealAntMan
Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:45 pm

The harvester ant diet is quite different from the typical ant diet. Harvester ants mostly feed on the "bread" they make from grass seeds, however they also eat other insects too such as roaches. Do not feed them sweets though as it can sometimes harm them.
An ants' strength can be rivaled by few animals compared to relative body size.

CampoKing
Posts: 41
Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2018 1:20 pm
Location: Colorado

Re: Texas red Harvester queens

Post: # 47703Post CampoKing
Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:24 am

My experience with one harvester queen is that they are very heat loving. Mine refused to settle down unless I kept her slightly above room temp (like 78+). She also acts more skittish than my carpenters, and is more disturbed by exposure to light or movement. All in all, they seem kind of sensitive, but warmth is the big factor. I just keep her habitat humid, warm, and dark(!) and provide some seeds (mostly wheat kernels), and she's currently raising a brood fine.
Keeper of Camponotus:
C. pennsylvanicus, C. subbarbatus, C. nearcticus

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