New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Help with identifying the species your ants

Moderator: ooper01

geebee
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:21 pm

New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Post: # 60361Post geebee
Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:10 pm

Hi all from Vancouver Canada!

Long-time AntsCanada fans, first-time accidental keepers :shock:

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
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:12 am
Location: Maryland

Re: New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Post: # 60373Post Peterjclancy
Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:45 am

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
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Post: # 60375Post Hawkeye
Sun Jul 07, 2019 10:44 am

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
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Post: # 60386Post Hawkeye
Sun Jul 07, 2019 4:37 pm

Hawkeye wrote:
Sun Jul 07, 2019 10:44 am
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
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:21 pm

Re: New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Post: # 60687Post geebee
Wed Jul 10, 2019 11:20 am

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
Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:46 pm
Location: South East Michigan

Re: New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Post: # 60730Post sartwell90
Thu Jul 11, 2019 4:18 pm

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*.

Image
Photo courtesy of elegantentomology.weebly.com
Check out my colonies! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDze5idJomnpRCpvd3QoAFA
Or, if you would rather read about them check here - https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?p=60680#p60680

Good2Know15
Posts: 107
Joined: Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:13 am
Location: Netherlands

Re: New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Post: # 60852Post Good2Know15
Sat Jul 13, 2019 5:18 am

geebee wrote:
Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:10 pm
Hi all from Vancouver Canada!

Long-time AntsCanada fans, first-time accidental keepers :shock:

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 :roll:

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!
Also known as Ants_Netherlands18 on Instagram

Keeper of:
I have kept 48 species of 18 different genera of ants over the course of 3.5 years of antkeeping :)

For species ID, feel free to message me privately!

Turret675A
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:16 pm
Location: Richmond BC
Contact:

Re: New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Post: # 60951Post Turret675A
Tue Jul 16, 2019 2:51 am

geebee wrote:
Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:10 pm
Hi all from Vancouver Canada!

Long-time AntsCanada fans, first-time accidental keepers :shock:

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.
Ants are pretty cool

In Richmond BC currently caring for:
X1 Campontus Herculeanus
X1 Camponotus Modoc
X1 Camponotus Novaeborecensis
X2 Formica Pacifica
X1 Formica Podzolica
X1 Formica Neorufabarbis
X1 Myrmica Incompleta

Clowery
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2019 11:26 am
Location: North Carolina

Re: New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Post: # 61305Post Clowery
Mon Jul 22, 2019 11:34 am

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

Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: New Queen Ant Identification and General Newbie Issues..

Post: # 61309Post Hawkeye
Mon Jul 22, 2019 12:33 pm

Clowery wrote:
Mon Jul 22, 2019 11:34 am
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

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 36 guests