If you like ants

It's ant flying/fucking season here in CA, so I was planning on wandering around and seeing if I can snag any mated queens. Been wanting to start my own colony for a long while, and we're spoiled for choice when it comes to species here.

>>2372892
For the flying/fucking season.

That it is called swarms.

>>2372887
Il like that! Thx!

>>2372887
Pretty cool, I like the footage with the aphid things.

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just bought a small colony of myrmica rubra (european red ants) with a starter kit from antkit.uk, will post pics when they arrive, but heres the kit itself

>>2373565
Myrmica rubra is a bad beginner species. They need it moist almost wet all the time or they die.

Also antkit is overpriced. You can get the chinese plastic formicariums for way cheaper.

>>2373603
really?, shit, on the site they stated them being a good beginner species?, also dont mind paying extra for something that looks nice, not buying some chinese stuff only for them to escape lol

>>2373652
Not him, but usually the biggest issue with red ant species is that they're rather gifted escape artists. They also possess a sting, so be aware of that.

Make sure and put a layer of Fluon/Insect-a-Slip/olive oil/something around the lip of the container, otherwise you'll find your living space full of angry little red ants.

>>2373667
Did you know a great website to learn ant keeping?

>>2373671
Most of what I've learned I've picked up through a combination of youtubers (AntsCanada, Ants Australia) and forums like Formiculture. Here's a decent pile of info, if you're curious http://www.formiculture.com/topic/220-ant-keeping-guide-for-beginners/

>>2373667
thanks for the insight, supposedly the antkit kit is escape proof but il take your advice and line the rim with olive oil, cant wait until they arrive

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>>2373652
>really?, shit, on the site they stated them being a good beginner species?

Nah they really aren't. The fact that you have to keep them so moist/wet makes it really easy for them to get mites. Also like the other Anon said they really like to escape.

Best beginner species are Camponotus spec. or Formica spec.

Lasius spec. are great for beginners too but they're smaller so might not be that interesting.

The chinese stuff is good it was designed for Ants and the chinese are pretty big on ant keeping actually.

Only know a german shop that sells them though so shipping to the UK might not be worth it.

https://ameisen-boutique.de/epages/d0e4b90d-0579-4919-9975-ad3efad0e09c.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/d0e4b90d-0579-4919-9975-ad3efad0e09c/Categories/Category2/Acrylnester

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>>2373712
I really wish I could get my hands on some Australian Bull Ants, Myrmecia spp. They look menacing, and they have a sting, but because of their great vision (and size, up to 2.5cm for a worker), they seem to have fun, inquisitive personalities. And some of the genus are called "hopping" or "jumping jack" ants, since they can perform little hops like jumping spiders, both for general movement and intimidation (and fun, I presume).

But alas, I live in murrica, and not australia, so no bull ants for me.

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>>2373712
Camponotus spec look awsome, package is already in the mail so cant change it now, from what ive read its supposedly only really the nest that needs moisture and the ankit has some sort of sponge thing that keeps it humid, any other tips on this species?, thanks

also how do mites get into the enclosure?, i live in scotland and dont think we even have mites here, could be wrong however.

>>2373783
From what I've read, mites usually affect your ants via one of two ways - either they had it when you caught the queen, or they were present on a piece of wild caught food.

Probably forgetting something, but that's the two that spring to mind. To prevent the latter, you can freeze any insects you catch (or scald them), to kill any mites present before you feed your colony.

>>2373783 Ant keeping is not a game. Ant is a living animal. You must be learn some informations before buying them!

Best ant channel, bar none
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaFJYp7PU_8&list=PLbqkLu2V1bJLe6GpzEooHJF5LFzhJZWA7&index=19

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>>2373788
yeah was planning on using cb wingless flies until the colony gets bigger, then switch to dubais or something, ive got 2 clown tree frogs and 3 dwarf tarantulas which are only feed cb livefood, as long as the queen hasn't got mites i should be good.

>>2374337
i know this, its also not rocket science, ive been keeping exotic animals for over 15 years, its also why im also in this thread.

wow a lot of reply!

Can anyone help me identify a species of ants?
I am from portugal, and I caught 5 queen ants in october 2016.
Two of them eventually died, but three are still alive.
I put them in tubes with water and cotton, but I didn't feed them often, maybe only once a month a little of honey or something like honey.
Today I noticed that the 3 queens started laying eggs.
I thought they were Lasius Niger due to their appearance, but wikipedia says Lasius Niger will lay eggs after 6-8weeks, and my queens took 6months.
Anyone know what species it may be?

>>2375943
A picture and some rough measurements would help.

>>2375984
I didn't include a picture because ai didn't want to disturb them in this stage
I'm starting to think it might be Messor Barbarus, but I'm not sure
I will include a picture when I get home

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Bull ant best ant. Wish we had some in the states, I'd love to keep them.

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>>2375984
>>2376157
Here are some pictures I took of one of them
http://imgur.com/gallery/Ll1TA

I love ants. Can you keep different ant species in the same fornicarium? I plan to build a big one like pic related but keeping the sand level a bit higher so they have more room to build their colonies. I don't mind if I can't see them underground as long as I can see them having fun on the surface.

>>2376447
>pic related
?

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>>2376448
Forgot attachment sorry.

>>2376447
>can you keep different species
NO. Ants do not play well with others, even members of the same species don't get along. You introduce two to the same formicarium, and you'll have a lot of dead ants.

Also, if you want to be able to see the ants when you build your container, you can place a smaller box (just shy of the outside wall) inside the enclosure (making sure it's seated and sealed to the bottom), fill in the dirt around the edges and let the ants go nuts. That way they still have plenty of room to dig, but can only do so in a location visible to you, i.e. pressed against the glass.

>>2376465
What if you have two ant species terrariums pushed next to each other and poke microscopic holes in the sides so the pheromones can drift through? Would the ants spend all their time trying to get at one another or would they eventually give up?

>>2376426
That'd be the right time and place to catch a Messor barbarus queen. Assuming that's a standard 16mm test tube, it's about the right size. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but the coloration, gaster, and petiole look about right too.

>>2376447
Don't just use sand. It's not ideal for ants to dig in. Use a mixture of dirt and sand and keep it slightly moist.

>>2376564
Most ant species have an instinct to attack other colonies. Mixing them will almost certainly result in one being wiped out. Trying to acclimate them to each other will likely not work and may stress the colonies out.

>>2377395
Thank you for confirming thta it is a Messor barbarus queen
I have some questions about messor barbarus colonies:
I don't want to spen much money in expensive homes for them, so I thought I could build one myself.
Do they chew through hot glue?
Do they chew through wood?
Do they chew through molding clay?

In case they don't chew through molding clay, how is it for the ants to live in a formicarium made of clay in terms of moisture, and overall life quality of the ants in a clay home?

>>2377423
I haven't kept any Messor myself, but I know they're fairly destructive. I'd stick with something made of strong, solid plastic to be safe.

>>2373712
Is messor barbarus a good species for beginners?

>>2378371
It's not a bad one. They're fairly hardy, they multiply at a decent rate, they can't sting, and you have majors to look forward to.

I was thinking of making a formicarium made of grout, but since Messor Barbarus like their homes wet, and grout isn't water absorbent, it doesn't look lile a good ideia
I also heard thei can chew throught plaster.
What would you recommend?

>>2379363
They're actually something of a dry to moderate species. They'll probably do fine with the ambient humidity so long is the nest is fairly air tight and they have access to a test tube with water.