Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

General Off Topic Chat and Discussions

Moderator: ooper01

Post Reply
AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

Post: # 48169Post AntsDakota
Tue Aug 21, 2018 12:26 pm

I've successfully merged Solenopsis molesta many times with no problems, and this is how I will continue to perpetuate the Royal Legion, my S. molesta colony. I will merge them with newly mated queens and maybe mature colonies every year.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

Hunter36o
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

Post: # 49374Post Hunter36o
Tue Sep 04, 2018 7:54 am

I though the Solenopsis group only had single queen supspecies??
Research is important before during and even after you have established a colony. There is always time to learn and to listen to others experiences. Live by this and your ants will thrive. Fail to do so and your experience may be brief.

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

Post: # 49532Post AntsDakota
Wed Sep 05, 2018 5:14 pm

Hunter36o wrote:
Tue Sep 04, 2018 7:54 am
I though the Solenopsis group only had single queen supspecies??
Solenopsis molesta is commonly known as the grease ant or thief ant. They are not fire ants, and are only one or two mm long. Their queens are 5 millimeters. They are highly polygynous like their cousin Solenopsis invicta. They are a golden color and look sort of like tiny Tetramorium workers. They steal from other ant colonies and can slip around larger ants without them noticing due to their small size. They even eat the brood of other ants. They don't like sweet foods, but prefer grease. Queens only live 1-2 years since they are so small. But they can grow colonies to a few thousand workers in that short period of time.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

Hunter36o
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

Post: # 49581Post Hunter36o
Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:42 am

See this is why I hate Ireland I am missing out on so many ants :(

Do you have a journal on this colony of yours I can read?
Research is important before during and even after you have established a colony. There is always time to learn and to listen to others experiences. Live by this and your ants will thrive. Fail to do so and your experience may be brief.

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

Post: # 49716Post AntsDakota
Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:42 pm

Hunter36o wrote:
Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:42 am
See this is why I hate Ireland I am missing out on so many ants :(

Do you have a journal on this colony of yours I can read?
My Solenopsis molesta colony
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

Post: # 49720Post AntsDakota
Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:53 pm

Hunter36o wrote:
Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:42 am
See this is why I hate Ireland I am missing out on so many ants :(

Do you have a journal on this colony of yours I can read?
Actually, no one in Europe has even seen Solenopsis molesta before. (unless they traveled to North America, that is.)
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

Post: # 49721Post AntsDakota
Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:53 pm

And by the way, I'd much rather keep Lasius niger and flavus than neoniger and americanus.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

TheRealAntMan
Posts: 620
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

Post: # 49730Post TheRealAntMan
Fri Sep 07, 2018 5:58 pm

AntsDakota wrote:
Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:53 pm
Hunter36o wrote:
Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:42 am
See this is why I hate Ireland I am missing out on so many ants :(

Do you have a journal on this colony of yours I can read?
Actually, no one in Europe has even seen Solenopsis molesta before. (unless they traveled to North America, that is.)
Europe might not have Solenopsis Molesta, but they do have Solenopsis Fugax a close relative of Solenopsis Molesta. And although they are rare, they have been recorded in Northern Ireland but have probably spread down to the rest of the country.
An ants' strength can be rivaled by few animals compared to relative body size.

Hunter36o
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

Post: # 49767Post Hunter36o
Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:20 am

TheRealAntMan wrote:
Fri Sep 07, 2018 5:58 pm
AntsDakota wrote:
Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:53 pm
Hunter36o wrote:
Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:42 am
See this is why I hate Ireland I am missing out on so many ants :(

Do you have a journal on this colony of yours I can read?
Actually, no one in Europe has even seen Solenopsis molesta before. (unless they traveled to North America, that is.)
Europe might not have Solenopsis Molesta, but they do have Solenopsis Fugax a close relative of Solenopsis Molesta. And although they are rare, they have been recorded in Northern Ireland but have probably spread down to the rest of the country.
Yeah since this is my first year I have not gone out of Dublin just yet to see what ants are about. I thought I was going to get at least one queen of tetramorium but I ended up with two different Myrmica species.

Why would you prefer Niger's and Flavus? Do they differ in traits the stand out over the other?
Research is important before during and even after you have established a colony. There is always time to learn and to listen to others experiences. Live by this and your ants will thrive. Fail to do so and your experience may be brief.

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Merging Solenopsis molesta colonies

Post: # 49774Post AntsDakota
Sat Sep 08, 2018 11:17 am

Hunter36o wrote:
Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:20 am
TheRealAntMan wrote:
Fri Sep 07, 2018 5:58 pm
AntsDakota wrote:
Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:53 pm


Actually, no one in Europe has even seen Solenopsis molesta before. (unless they traveled to North America, that is.)
Europe might not have Solenopsis Molesta, but they do have Solenopsis Fugax a close relative of Solenopsis Molesta. And although they are rare, they have been recorded in Northern Ireland but have probably spread down to the rest of the country.
Yeah since this is my first year I have not gone out of Dublin just yet to see what ants are about. I thought I was going to get at least one queen of tetramorium but I ended up with two different Myrmica species.

Why would you prefer Niger's and Flavus? Do they differ in traits the stand out over the other?
Lasius niger and flavus colonies are explosive in growth. Lasius neoniger and americanus....... not so much.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests