New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

[geebee]

Hi all from Vancouver Canada!

Long-time AntsCanada fans, first-time accidental keepers

My boyfriend and I had just returned from a sailing trip on Canada Day (July 1) and I was cleaning up the cabin of the boat, and our little winged friend flew in out of the blue! I assumed she was a queen ant based on our binge watching of AntsCanada vids.. but thought it was a little odd that she'd be flying around looking to nest over water in the marina after her nuptial flight, but decided to take her home anyway.

Based on her size, anatomy, coloration and my very basic research, I assume she's a carpenter ant.. but I believe their nuptial flights are over in our area? Looking for some community help in identifying her so we can properly prepare for this tiny beast nesting in our kitchen.

Given that we were not at all prepared to take in ants, I didn't have any test tubes on hand or at all. I used one of those plastic containers that crazy glue comes in and filled up with some water/cotton but this wider tube doesn't preserve the water reservoir.. all of the water just gets absorbed. I was concerned about the humidity level in the container so checked on her this morning. She had removed her wings (!!panic!!) and so I rushed around and found a suitable tube to transfer her into before she laid eggs.

I contained her within the new test tube with the opening against the cotton, and when I pulled the tube up it was covered in tiny eggs!! We had no idea all of this would happen so fast. I put her back in the original container and used a toothpick to collect her eggs from the test tube and lowered them back to her. She quickly gathered them all (so sweet to watch! but also very upsetting..) and I've left her alone in the original container. She's now moved all of the eggs to the side of the container where they're at least visible.

So now that you have some backstory, some questions from us clueless parents:

What species is she? We'd like to get the appropriate hybrid nest when the time comes.

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AzSQLbdgonsMarqx6

Have I caused any damage by accidentally disturbing her eggs? I feel so awful...

What do we do about the moisture situation? There's no reservoir in her current setup and I'm concerned that the cotton will just dry out. Can we add drops of water when it looks dry? Should we attempt a transfer when the eggs get larger?


Thanks very much in advance for your help!

Georgia & Andrew

[Peterjclancy]

Hi there. Another ant newb here. Looks like a prettty good setup, but if i were you i would add a littlr more water. Thats gonna run out fairly soon and you will need to remake the setup. Fill the tube 50 - 66 % water, then push in the first cotton ball, then pit in the ant/eggs, then seal the tube with anpther cotton ball. Hope i helped. Unfortunately, im not skilled enough to identify that ant species.

Edit: i dont know if the eggs will be ok through a transfer, sorry im new. But i do know that the queen will be ok of you move her.

[Hawkeye]

If you're concerned about the humidity, place the entire tube inside a Tupperware box with just a bit of soil on the bottom. They don't need to be able to dig in it. Then remove the outer cotton plug. That should increase airflow in the tube and discourages growth of fungi. Excess water can be soaked up by the moisture.
Put the entire box back at a dark and undisturbed location and she should be fine. I doubt you harmed the eggs, but I guess you'll have to find out.
Looks like Carpenter ants to, but I am a new too!

[Hawkeye]

If you're concerned about the humidity, place the entire tube inside a Tupperware box with just a bit of soil on the bottom. They don't need to be able to dig in it. Then remove the outer cotton plug. That should increase airflow in the tube and discourages growth of fungi. Excess water can be soaked up by the moisture.
Put the entire box back at a dark and undisturbed location and she should be fine. I doubt you harmed the eggs, but I guess you'll have to find out.
Looks like Carpenter ants to, but I am a new too!

I meant sand instead of moisture... lol

[geebee]

Thanks very much for your advice guys! She has laid a ton more eggs so I don't think she's too upset with life/me. I will place her container in a tupperware as suggested with a separate test tube w/ water. I might cover her nest container with black paper so I can open up the tupperware to water/feed in the future.

Still hoping for a positive ID from the community?! Let me know if additional photos are required

Thanks again!

g

[sartwell90]

With how small the head is in relation to the gaster, I'd say she looks like a Lasius queen, a spitting image of Lasius niger - but I don't know if they are out that way *shrug*.


Photo courtesy of elegantentomology.weebly.com

[Good2Know15]

Hi all from Vancouver Canada!

Long-time AntsCanada fans, first-time accidental keepers

My boyfriend and I had just returned from a sailing trip on Canada Day (July 1) and I was cleaning up the cabin of the boat, and our little winged friend flew in out of the blue! I assumed she was a queen ant based on our binge watching of AntsCanada vids.. but thought it was a little odd that she'd be flying around looking to nest over water in the marina after her nuptial flight, but decided to take her home anyway.

Based on her size, anatomy, coloration and my very basic research, I assume she's a carpenter ant.. but I believe their nuptial flights are over in our area? Looking for some community help in identifying her so we can properly prepare for this tiny beast nesting in our kitchen.

Given that we were not at all prepared to take in ants, I didn't have any test tubes on hand or at all. I used one of those plastic containers that crazy glue comes in and filled up with some water/cotton but this wider tube doesn't preserve the water reservoir.. all of the water just gets absorbed. I was concerned about the humidity level in the container so checked on her this morning. She had removed her wings (!!panic!!) and so I rushed around and found a suitable tube to transfer her into before she laid eggs.

I contained her within the new test tube with the opening against the cotton, and when I pulled the tube up it was covered in tiny eggs!! We had no idea all of this would happen so fast. I put her back in the original container and used a toothpick to collect her eggs from the test tube and lowered them back to her. She quickly gathered them all (so sweet to watch! but also very upsetting..) and I've left her alone in the original container. She's now moved all of the eggs to the side of the container where they're at least visible.

So now that you have some backstory, some questions from us clueless parents:

What species is she? We'd like to get the appropriate hybrid nest when the time comes.

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AzSQLbdgonsMarqx6

Have I caused any damage by accidentally disturbing her eggs? I feel so awful...

What do we do about the moisture situation? There's no reservoir in her current setup and I'm concerned that the cotton will just dry out. Can we add drops of water when it looks dry? Should we attempt a transfer when the eggs get larger?


Thanks very much in advance for your help!

Georgia & Andrew

Hi there, that's a Lasius sp. (probably Niger or Flavus) queen right there. I've caught 12 of them during their massive nuptial flight in the Netherlands on the 11th of July

About your mistake of touching the eggs, if you picked up her eggs with a toothpick very gently, then there's a chance that (most of) the eggs are still intact. I did the same by accident with one of my Lasius Niger queens last year and most of the eggs hatched normally

Also do not try to transfer her to another container/test tube as it will stress out your queen and she may stop laying or even eat her own eggs. What you could do is to keep checking on her once a week or once two weeks and put some drops of water in the cotton where she currently stays on if it dries out. You could also try to connect a fresh test tube to the current setup with as little disturbance as possible and cover the new one while leaving the old one in the light, NOT in direct sunlight.

Goodluck!

[Turret675A]

Hi all from Vancouver Canada!

Long-time AntsCanada fans, first-time accidental keepers

My boyfriend and I had just returned from a sailing trip on Canada Day (July 1) and I was cleaning up the cabin of the boat, and our little winged friend flew in out of the blue! I assumed she was a queen ant based on our binge watching of AntsCanada vids.. but thought it was a little odd that she'd be flying around looking to nest over water in the marina after her nuptial flight, but decided to take her home anyway.

Based on her size, anatomy, coloration and my very basic research, I assume she's a carpenter ant.. but I believe their nuptial flights are over in our area? Looking for some community help in identifying her so we can properly prepare for this tiny beast nesting in our kitchen.

Given that we were not at all prepared to take in ants, I didn't have any test tubes on hand or at all. I used one of those plastic containers that crazy glue comes in and filled up with some water/cotton but this wider tube doesn't preserve the water reservoir.. all of the water just gets absorbed. I was concerned about the humidity level in the container so checked on her this morning. She had removed her wings (!!panic!!) and so I rushed around and found a suitable tube to transfer her into before she laid eggs.

I contained her within the new test tube with the opening against the cotton, and when I pulled the tube up it was covered in tiny eggs!! We had no idea all of this would happen so fast. I put her back in the original container and used a toothpick to collect her eggs from the test tube and lowered them back to her. She quickly gathered them all (so sweet to watch! but also very upsetting..) and I've left her alone in the original container. She's now moved all of the eggs to the side of the container where they're at least visible.

So now that you have some backstory, some questions from us clueless parents:

What species is she? We'd like to get the appropriate hybrid nest when the time comes.

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AzSQLbdgonsMarqx6

Have I caused any damage by accidentally disturbing her eggs? I feel so awful...

What do we do about the moisture situation? There's no reservoir in her current setup and I'm concerned that the cotton will just dry out. Can we add drops of water when it looks dry? Should we attempt a transfer when the eggs get larger?


Thanks very much in advance for your help!

Georgia & Andrew

Im from a similar and nearby area (Richmond, BC) so im pretty sure that the queen ant is lasius americanus, its one of the more predominate species here in the vancouver/richmond suburban area. However closer photos would be nice for a confirmation.

[Clowery]

So I found this ant In my back yard and never seen one before can someone help tell what she is

[Hawkeye]

So I found this ant In my back yard and never seen one before can someone help tell what she is

Not without more information or pics