Tetramorium Immigrans Nanatic Behavior

[AntChuck]

So just a bit of helpful information I learned last summer. I had around 40 tetramorium immigrans colonies and decided to brood boost into one super colony. Quite a few had nanatics however so I wasnt sure how it would go. After removing the queens I would attach the tube to a set up that had the strongest of my young colonies and I found that in every case where foreign nanatics were involved those nanatics assimilated into the new colony with zero deaths. They do a bit of a hop step thing at first which worried me but in the end 17 set ups with 1-10 nanatics were introduced to eachother and joined forces.... Easy way to brood boost a young colony if you have the time.

[SolenopsisKeeper]

So just a bit of helpful information I learned last summer. I had around 40 tetramorium immigrans colonies and decided to brood boost into one super colony. Quite a few had nanatics however so I wasnt sure how it would go. After removing the queens I would attach the tube to a set up that had the strongest of my young colonies and I found that in every case where foreign nanatics were involved those nanatics assimilated into the new colony with zero deaths. They do a bit of a hop step thing at first which worried me but in the end 17 set ups with 1-10 nanatics were introduced to eachother and joined forces.... Easy way to brood boost a young colony if you have the time.

That is indeed interesting. Many species of ants, including monogynos species, will actually accept foreign nantics, but you risks intro of parasites and the colonies safety. I have heard(never tried due to stress) that if you introduce a worker into a foreign colony, and shake the colony up with the worker, they won’t suspect a thing(I was told to only try with smallest of ants aka minors). When I asked how it works, it apparently throws off the colony scent, but I don’t recommend this, EVER.