Pseudomyrmex gracilis

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Tethiner
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:33 pm
Location: Spring, Texas

Pseudomyrmex gracilis

Post: # 47284Post Tethiner
Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:51 pm

I have an established colony of Psudomyrmex gracilis.
They are currently residing in an omninest and nesting in the outworld. I would really like them to relocate into the formicarium portion, at least so I can clean their outworld. Any suggestions?
Image
Image

The long story:
This colony took up residence in the flashing of my daughters window. At that location their future was very limited. I saved them and relocated them into this omninest. In the picture the grey looking object is a part of the flashing. I know they like tight spaces so I included some bark from the azalea tree right outside of that window. They seem to be doing very well, I have seen no indication of any stress and appears that the colony is getting larger. I assumed they would outgrow the bark and move....
It appears they are outgrowing it, but are stubbornly not leaving.
They know the formicarium is there. I have seen them exploring it. I closed all the gates so only the 1 floor of the omni nest is open.
I covered the omninest so it would be dark, although it is not perfectly covered or even covered well.

Thanks
~teth
For the Swarm!
For the Brood!

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

Re: Pseudomyrmex gracilis

Post: # 47290Post idahoantgirl
Sun Aug 12, 2018 8:59 pm

it looks like the tubing connecting the outworld to the nest is very long. I would change it to be a few inches at most. Ants don't like moving their queen and brood over such a long distance. Also if you don't hydrate the bark it will dry out ad they will be forced to find somewhere else.
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: Pseudomyrmex gracilis

Post: # 47293Post TheRealAntMan
Sun Aug 12, 2018 11:18 pm

Pseudomyrmex is a large ant species that is quite fond of foraging quite far from the nest. You could temporarily change the large tubing to a small piece and if/when they move you can change it back.
An ants' strength can be rivaled by few animals compared to relative body size.

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Tethiner
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:33 pm
Location: Spring, Texas

Re: Pseudomyrmex gracilis

Post: # 47311Post Tethiner
Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:57 am

I did have the formicarium attached to the out-world, however I removed it to cover it and to create some distance between the formicarium and the outworld. I could reattach it but that does not give them much room to move around. Like Antman said, they are a species that needs a lot of space. Where I found their nest and where they were foraging was over 30ft, from the bushes across a sidewalk and up two stories into the window flashing.
I like the idea of shortening the tubing to ~3 inches. Then when (hopefully) they move I can increase it.
For the Swarm!
For the Brood!

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