Advice on found colony.
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Advice on found colony.
I was doing yard work and cutting down trees and happened upon a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus colony inside a section of hallowed out tree that almost went into the fire. I was wanting to try and keep it because I actually found the queen and about 50-80 workers. I’m not sure what the best approach would be. I know that the ants usually remain inactive in the winter which they seem to be now. Should I attempt to move them to a formicarium, or should I just place their log inside a bin with a water and food source and wait for the weather to warm or bring them inside to warm up?
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Re: Advice on found colony.
Wait for when they leave hibernation, then move them into a formicarium.Mattisius wrote: ↑Thu Dec 06, 2018 11:52 amI was doing yard work and cutting down trees and happened upon a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus colony inside a section of hallowed out tree that almost went into the fire. I was wanting to try and keep it because I actually found the queen and about 50-80 workers. I’m not sure what the best approach would be. I know that the ants usually remain inactive in the winter which they seem to be now. Should I attempt to move them to a formicarium, or should I just place their log inside a bin with a water and food source and wait for the weather to warm or bring them inside to warm up?
Ant-keeper going into his 4th year of loving ants!
- UnrealSparks
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- Location: Turin - Italy
Re: Advice on found colony.
As Clash said.Mattisius wrote: ↑Thu Dec 06, 2018 11:52 amI was doing yard work and cutting down trees and happened upon a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus colony inside a section of hallowed out tree that almost went into the fire. I was wanting to try and keep it because I actually found the queen and about 50-80 workers. I’m not sure what the best approach would be. I know that the ants usually remain inactive in the winter which they seem to be now. Should I attempt to move them to a formicarium, or should I just place their log inside a bin with a water and food source and wait for the weather to warm or bring them inside to warm up?
Wait until February/March, when they'll come out of hibernation, and only then move the log somewhere where you can collect the colony.
Warming them up now would mean to bother their natural cycle and thus destabilizing the health of the colony.
Keeping the following colonies:
- [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
- [2x] Lasius Flavus
Re: Advice on found colony.
Ok thanks. Until then should I just leave them in the storage been inside the section of log? And should I provide water and auger and protein sources? Because I live in Mississippi where it doesn’t get too cold, but even in winter there are some warm days.
- UnrealSparks
- Posts: 192
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:45 pm
- Location: Turin - Italy
Re: Advice on found colony.
Yeah, I'd leave them where they are for now. If you want, and you see them foraging, you can provide them some sugar water but no protein is needed since they don't lay eggs during winter.Mattisius wrote: ↑Fri Dec 07, 2018 5:37 amOk thanks. Until then should I just leave them in the storage been inside the section of log? And should I provide water and auger and protein sources? Because I live in Mississippi where it doesn’t get too cold, but even in winter there are some warm days.
Keeping the following colonies:
- [2x] Camponotus Barbaricus
- [2x] Lasius Flavus
Re: Advice on found colony.
Yea what they said! Hats off to ya for wanting to adopt this colony and not simply turning them into ash! More people need to understand how important of a role ants play in our ecosystem, just like the importance of bees!
MadVampy
Head Forum Admin
Name is also Mike but please don't confuse me with Mikey Bustos, two different people.
Keeper of Solenopsis Ants.
Head Forum Admin
Name is also Mike but please don't confuse me with Mikey Bustos, two different people.
Keeper of Solenopsis Ants.
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