Andy's ant keeping experience (Tetramorium. .....)

[AndyGJorgensen]

I will be keeping track of my progress of all my ant keeping I currently have 13 queen tetramorium ants. I expect many are not fertile some still have wings and such. If I catch another species I will record progress here pics and videos will come.

Day 0
observed nuptial flights for tetramorium near my house on June 19 at 6 am to 8 am but no queen's found

Day 1 - 3
Caught 13 queen's over the last few days have put them in small snap top containers with tightly bound damp cotton ball on one side and a dry cotton ball on the other. Ordered test tubes for a better setup. Some eggs have started to show in the containers of 2 queen's caught on day 1.

Day 5
Containers are drying out quickly not extremely happy with having to water cotton everyday as it disturbs them to much tracking showing delivery of test tubes in a few days will need to move all queen's soon to a proper setup. Many eggs from 3 queen's.

[MadVampy]

As long as they are laying eggs thats a good thing. I caught around a hundred queens one day and got about 20 of them in test tubes that day. The rest I kept in a tupperware container that I cut out a 1/2" hole in the top and pushed cotton into for air and they sat there for a week while I was waiting on the 60 test tubes to be delivered.

After a week I placed the rest in test tubes and they have continued to lay eggs so I think you will be fine, just get them into their tubes as so as you can. I took and placed 2 large cotton balls in the center of that container and soaked it with water and that lasted the whole time.

[AndyGJorgensen]

Any advice on how to move the eggs or getting the queen to do it. Or should I just move them and abandon the eggs

[AndyGJorgensen]

Finally got test tubes week they where here yesterday but I didn't relive they got delivered I didn't look since tracking showed a later day

Day 6 some eggs made the move some lost from transferring to a proproper test tube setup

[AndyGJorgensen]