I don't have a proper place to store my ants and some tips on mating

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

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Gin154
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2019 7:27 am
Location: Jaboatão- Piedade

I don't have a proper place to store my ants and some tips on mating

Post: # 55560Post Gin154
Mon Jan 28, 2019 8:55 pm

Hello, I've just found an ant nest in a wall on the back of my house, there were some queens outside it as it's raining a lot, and some males flying close to a light that's very close to the nest.
There are the questions:
If the queen is not fertilized yet and I catch her together with some males, will they mate after captured?
I don't have a test tube to place the queens, where else can I keep it until they get some workers?


Notes: I captured 2 queens but it's "raining time" so I think I'll still get some more.

Edit one: They're carpenter ants.

DontSquishTheAnt
Posts: 79
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 1:00 pm
Location: Connecticut

Re: I don't have a proper place to store my ants and some tips on mating

Post: # 55562Post DontSquishTheAnt
Tue Jan 29, 2019 9:58 am

No, they will probably not mate after capture; ants are very picky about mating times. For housing, a popular alternative to test tubes is flower picks, though they are a bit smaller. They are also carried in most flower shops, so if you have one nearby, you can look there. Are the queens right outside the nest entrance? If they are, they probably aren't fertilized, so I would suggest looking on the ground at least 10 yards away. A larger distance, such as 20 or 50 yards would be better, however.
Last edited by DontSquishTheAnt on Tue Jan 29, 2019 10:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
First year and already enjoying it!

Founding:
1 Solenopsis molesta colony with ~10 nanitic workers and lots of brood

Genesis 1:24

Gin154
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2019 7:27 am
Location: Jaboatão- Piedade

Re: I don't have a proper place to store my ants and some tips on mating

Post: # 55563Post Gin154
Tue Jan 29, 2019 10:02 am

DontSquishTheAnt wrote:
Tue Jan 29, 2019 9:58 am
No, they will probably not mate after capture; ants are very picky about mating times. For housing, a popular alternative to test tubes is flower picks, though they are a bit smaller. They are also carried in most flower shops, so if you have one nearby, you can look there.
Thanks, I'm kinda sad cuz I think it'll be hard for me to get a fertilized queen, they stay very close to the nest and after mating I guess they'll get back in real quick :C.

DontSquishTheAnt
Posts: 79
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 1:00 pm
Location: Connecticut

Re: I don't have a proper place to store my ants and some tips on mating

Post: # 55564Post DontSquishTheAnt
Tue Jan 29, 2019 10:21 am

Finding queens is actually not that hard, all of my fertile queens were found within 1 acre of land. Just take a walk or go outside for 30 minutes every day and you'll find plenty. Most queens don't go back to their nests after they've mated, they go look for a place to start a new nest. That is the basis for antkeeping; giving queens a good place to start a colony, and then watching them grow and overcome challenges. Ant queens are usually collected while they are flying (in a nuptial flight) or on the ground, not in nests, so I would suggest looking for large gatherings of flying insects or on the ground after a rainstorm.
First year and already enjoying it!

Founding:
1 Solenopsis molesta colony with ~10 nanitic workers and lots of brood

Genesis 1:24

Gin154
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2019 7:27 am
Location: Jaboatão- Piedade

Re: I don't have a proper place to store my ants and some tips on mating

Post: # 55565Post Gin154
Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:20 am

DontSquishTheAnt wrote:
Tue Jan 29, 2019 10:21 am
Finding queens is actually not that hard, all of my fertile queens were found within 1 acre of land. Just take a walk or go outside for 30 minutes every day and you'll find plenty. Most queens don't go back to their nests after they've mated, they go look for a place to start a new nest. That is the basis for antkeeping; giving queens a good place to start a colony, and then watching them grow and overcome challenges. Ant queens are usually collected while they are flying (in a nuptial flight) or on the ground, not in nests, so I would suggest looking for large gatherings of flying insects or on the ground after a rainstorm.
Thank you for the reply, I'll try looking for it in other places. For me it's being so hard to find one, I looked everywhere but they just seem to disappear.

PwnerPie
Posts: 105
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 5:59 pm
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: I don't have a proper place to store my ants and some tips on mating

Post: # 55651Post PwnerPie
Sun Feb 03, 2019 11:36 am

Just get in a habit of going for walks in tbe spring/summer. Keep your eyes on the ground and always have a couple snap caps to catch them just in case.
For me i just go on walks during lunch at work, and sometimes at home, and i have caught plenty. I only look on side walks
Keeper of:
1x Formica Pacifica
2x Camponotus Modoc
1x Tetramorium Immigrans
2x Lasius Sp

Founding:
3x Lasius Sp
2x Formica Argentea
2x Myrmica Rubra

GAN Farmer: 4 Colonies sold
Goal: Supply school science classes with colonies for learning.

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