A camponotus Queen found me!
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2018 12:21 pm
So Mikeys YouTube channel is what got me into ants. I live in Central Oklahoma, but we are on vacation in Bull Shoals Arkansas. I have been looking for queens ever since nuptials started. And today as we were fishing off a boat on the river, a queen camponotus ant dropped right in our boat!!!!!
I almost lost my mind and completely unmanned the motor just to get her, almost sending my brother in law over the front on the boat (lol), but I got her, unharmed. My problem now is, I don't have a test tube, all I have her in is a waterproof, clear box. I have a drop of honey in there as well, as I haven't been able to watch the Camponotus video yet until I am home and have wifi, so I don't know if they eat while they are raising their first workers. But, she also has yet to rip her wings off. We are on the White River, and I have noticed tons of different micro climates. I was wondering if it was possible for a micro climate to effect one colony of ants, and send them into nuptial flight, while other colonies whom aren't in the same micro climate haven't got the message? (These "microclimates" can literally be 10 feet. You walk 10 feet and it's a 15° difference in temp) Is it possible she may have landed without being fertilized? How can I tell? She did accept the honey I offered her, so I don't know if that tells us anything?
I almost lost my mind and completely unmanned the motor just to get her, almost sending my brother in law over the front on the boat (lol), but I got her, unharmed. My problem now is, I don't have a test tube, all I have her in is a waterproof, clear box. I have a drop of honey in there as well, as I haven't been able to watch the Camponotus video yet until I am home and have wifi, so I don't know if they eat while they are raising their first workers. But, she also has yet to rip her wings off. We are on the White River, and I have noticed tons of different micro climates. I was wondering if it was possible for a micro climate to effect one colony of ants, and send them into nuptial flight, while other colonies whom aren't in the same micro climate haven't got the message? (These "microclimates" can literally be 10 feet. You walk 10 feet and it's a 15° difference in temp) Is it possible she may have landed without being fertilized? How can I tell? She did accept the honey I offered her, so I don't know if that tells us anything?