Ant Queen Identification

[Mohammadmacapundag]

What about live insects? And I'm planning to merge both my queens (When they have at least 20 workers) I really need to do this because I have don't enough room for both the queens to live separately I need advice on how to do this successfully.

[SolenopsisKeeper]

What about live insects? And I'm planning to merge both my queens (When they have at least 20 workers) I really need to do this because I have don't enough room for both the queens to live separately I need advice on how to do this successfully.

First things first, they need a proper nest(not tube) to merge, or they will fight to the death. If you made different chambers in teh tube, it might work. Please note, merging isn’t always successful Becuase invicta can be highly monogynos sometimes. Merging into a small nest when they both have 100 workers will be nice, Becuase they can live in a test tube for a long time with one queen. You can also keep them at a certain size by feeding them the same amount of food every feeding. Live insects like crickets die easy. Superworms, don’t die very easy Becuase they have protective exoskeleton that is very hard to penetrate. I do not suggest live feedings as it is cruel as teh fire ants eat the prey alive, but if it is a small insect like a flightless fruit fly, the ants will not be injured.


Successful merging means(merge can never be 100% successful as invicta can be monogynis.
Moving one to a formicarium or modular nest
Connecting the tube and not exposing either to light
Closely monitoring the colonies for a few days after merging
Merging one colony at a time

[Mohammadmacapundag]

But insects don't have pain receptors. And also it's normal in the wild.

[SolenopsisKeeper]

But insects don't have pain receptors. And also it's normal in the wild.

But live insects injure workers, so your hurting your ants.

[Mohammadmacapundag]

It does not matter.
https://youtu.be/cqECNYmM23A?t=308
LOL Fire ants are like Argentine ants but better.

[LoverofAnts37]

Ant love, respect for all ant life.

[AntsAntsAnts]

i watched that YEARS ago. Well, exaggeration, but you know what I mean. Also, I try NOT to do colony merging just cause of risks unless they are very good at it like yellow crazy ants or some pheidole sp.

[Mohammadmacapundag]

I don't have enough room for them to grow seperatly.

[SolenopsisKeeper]

I don't have enough room for them to grow seperatly.

You should care about worker injuries. If the live insect also has some sort of parasite or disease, it could spread to the ants

[AntsAntsAnts]

I don't have enough room for them to grow seperatly.

well you can try but you do risk a lot of lives. You can give them away via the GAN project. But pls don't release them, solenopsis is a VERY invasive species.