Oups, i catch a queen...

[Ectaban]

Hello,

I'v been watching ant's canada for a while and honestly, didn't felt like i was going to catch a queen this year, however, it seems ants are like cats and sometime they find you ! while dropping my parrents to maastrich airport, my eyes catch a movement, its was some queens, got a close look and one decided to climb on my hand !

Not sure of the species, but she's cute

https://scontent.fbru1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67292244_2141154005995763_4027373773849100288_o.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQlxAuzBQQazmVAlVt8IPQZ2UM_Nd8PMrxSym-SDvXbEUlk9DsHCQy_G_JXJZuDvyUq8QdW_YOpRIf5j5qSMoFSw&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru1-1.fna&oh=f08775d00245825d5a0ad8753602d059&oe=5DEA96E7

https://scontent.fbru1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/66809690_2141339472643883_7604760370942574592_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_oc=AQnr3zR3FnftenGknzTwZtMCyAEvXPfUIssFOybuvH3ZuFcUuoG02Pi2u5xzRK0v6ppSC8QlxEeXnBXXGjJr40mt&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru1-1.fna&oh=ba1c0cdf2b90b58cbbe91529e42f647e&oe=5DBA7521

https://scontent.fbru1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67227938_2141152582662572_4724999118395539456_o.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_oc=AQmS861pLoHsKPx-iSVMaxz4kAocxPUk7KYLpwoKwu6grTTrpjt-yoiOaISigrjBKddrbxBgwmKJAM0RcWOXzuss&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru1-1.fna&oh=191f9f1186a63bd00871f68fd55cfd3c&oe=5DA2369D

As i've no test tube and catch her around 19:00, she get quite a huge plastic box (25cm x 12.5cm) where i put 2 games workshop small fig round base, one with water and one with honney.

I'm seen her drinking the water and it seems she like staying close to it.

As it wasn't planned, i really have nothing for her !

What's the specie ?
Should i let her in this plastic box ? or should i transfer her to a smaller space ? a test tube once i got my hand on one ?
What are the specie's requirement (heat, hydrometry, ...)
Should i keep feeding her that way ? or this plastic might be dangerous for her ?

[Hawkeye]

Hello,

I'v been watching ant's canada for a while and honestly, didn't felt like i was going to catch a queen this year, however, it seems ants are like cats and sometime they find you ! while dropping my parrents to maastrich airport, my eyes catch a movement, its was some queens, got a close look and one decided to climb on my hand !

Not sure of the species, but she's cute

https://scontent.fbru1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67292244_2141154005995763_4027373773849100288_o.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQlxAuzBQQazmVAlVt8IPQZ2UM_Nd8PMrxSym-SDvXbEUlk9DsHCQy_G_JXJZuDvyUq8QdW_YOpRIf5j5qSMoFSw&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru1-1.fna&oh=f08775d00245825d5a0ad8753602d059&oe=5DEA96E7

https://scontent.fbru1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/66809690_2141339472643883_7604760370942574592_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_oc=AQnr3zR3FnftenGknzTwZtMCyAEvXPfUIssFOybuvH3ZuFcUuoG02Pi2u5xzRK0v6ppSC8QlxEeXnBXXGjJr40mt&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru1-1.fna&oh=ba1c0cdf2b90b58cbbe91529e42f647e&oe=5DBA7521

https://scontent.fbru1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67227938_2141152582662572_4724999118395539456_o.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_oc=AQmS861pLoHsKPx-iSVMaxz4kAocxPUk7KYLpwoKwu6grTTrpjt-yoiOaISigrjBKddrbxBgwmKJAM0RcWOXzuss&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru1-1.fna&oh=191f9f1186a63bd00871f68fd55cfd3c&oe=5DA2369D

As i've no test tube and catch her around 19:00, she get quite a huge plastic box (25cm x 12.5cm) where i put 2 games workshop small fig round base, one with water and one with honney.

I'm seen her drinking the water and it seems she like staying close to it.

As it wasn't planned, i really have nothing for her !

What's the specie ?
Should i let her in this plastic box ? or should i transfer her to a smaller space ? a test tube once i got my hand on one ?
What are the specie's requirement (heat, hydrometry, ...)
Should i keep feeding her that way ? or this plastic might be dangerous for her ?

First of all, congratulations on finding and capturing your first queen. She looks like a Lasius ant to me. Probably niger, but I can't be sure. Check out http://antwiki.org/wiki/Belgium to narrow down the list.

I recommend you go to your local florist and ask if they have any test tubes spare. They use them to house single flowers in, so it's likely they will have them. If not, you could always try the local hospital? Or order them online from an ants store. As you've probably seen a lot of AntsCanada clips, you know how to set up the test tube!

[Ectaban]

It seems i'm not allowed to answer by pm yet.

Yes, i do speak french, but i'm quite confortable with english and it really up to what you prefer/feel more confortable.

I'm not even 100% sure it's a queen to be honest, it was the way i felt when i saw her, but i can't spot any scars where i believe i should see them... she's soo small and my camera cannot zoom in properly.

[Ectaban]

base on the look, i'd say
https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/File:Michal_Kukla_Lasius_brunneus.jpg

[LasiusSapien]

you can get the test tubes from aquarium heaters they are a vertical heating system inside of a long test tube all held together and water sealed by a rubber bung at the top of course this is only useful if you keep fish as the chances of randomly have it i would assume are quite low lol

also you can get glitter glue pens which have long clear acrylic tubes to hold the stuff in easy to take apart and clean

[Ectaban]

I managed to get a few test tubes, one relatively large and a dozen quite small that better fit to store them for a very short time.

Today, i catch two more queens, probably relative to each other (but not the first one), i met a lot of them.
They both get their own test tube, even if they are a bit small to my taste.

Also i checked my first queen, Thétis, for the first time since i closed her test tube and it seems to me that she did layed a few eggs.
Note that i named her based on the name i've choosed for her colonny; let's see who can guess it

Queen 2
https://scontent.fbru1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67138893_2149185881859242_3984401539425894400_o.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQn--JgEjhNZxSGD-wDBkAASa44IPDZBKM88tEKlXANtv9ennD5IfpZKvnpv9kb1jJPXy2IsVqBxJhjNm1gMscDt&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru1-1.fna&oh=c8cebcd3c8253af09f9a2e254dc1e120&oe=5DE9A6AA

Cleaning herself ! I hope you can see it
https://www.facebook.com/francois.valente.9/videos/2149187331859097/

Queen 3
https://scontent.fbru1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67198645_2149208315190332_9045957580785975296_o.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_oc=AQn4MI6NDW58gU1pRVUy-OelCGG50rLlgF6LqhjKK37W7sBv7zzYFdAYfv4Uh-dig5rMKyJXZ_VFHZmU0_ki_KHj&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru1-1.fna&oh=e62efd5c9fcb9d556780ed0c44323516&oe=5DEC4B0B

https://scontent.fbru1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67263171_2149207485190415_5166643750675415040_o.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_oc=AQk_96AbN3ZIZfDsdpsniuMgOyW7qEx6R7g8HbWljyw50svBhzPhEeyTn9Jw2nmNv7izYe8R1fpGuey-ceA_rBA9&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru1-1.fna&oh=2cf37f7578c853330dc44a54eb251dbf&oe=5DE60157


Queen Thétis
https://scontent.fbru1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67337392_2149211055190058_624004060290220032_o.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_oc=AQnJYZZbZn6Pa5IRihKWrhVggnvPB3UJ4VJnVmhqKgYkOT04NHn8oM5JBJnvkzLYpGQW-zEd58Qir349KiwS79VS&_nc_ht=scontent.fbru1-1.fna&oh=01271dc2b120ed793e64f4e9d96cf9cc&oe=5DAD898B

[Ectaban]

As i can't edit anymore...

Queen 1 when captured (now named Thétis)






Queen 2


Cleaning herself ! I hope you can see it
https://www.facebook.com/francois.valente.9/videos/2149187331859097/

Queen 3





Queen Thétis




Not sure if it's queen 2 or 3.




it's me or the water tank is pulling the cotton deeper as the remaining water is getting rare ?

[Hawkeye]

Not sure, it seems unlikely the evaporating water would create a vacuum. But hey, use a marker to draw a line at where the cotton ball is now and check in a couple of days?

Also you seem to have very little water in there, but I assume that is to encourage her to move?

[Ectaban]

Oups, i should store the pictures somewhere else... most of them are not available anymore :s

Anyway, i checked yesterday and it seems i got my first larva.

[antnest8]

Nice!