Hello again! Ant questions once more!

SandDeku

Arachnobaron
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The top two pictures are not ants. The second one looks like a Crane Fly. Im not certain, but the only two outlines I can make out on your bottom two picture (the ones away from the group) are just a minor and major workers. Their might be a queen in there but I cant make out anybody in the mass of ants, with how blurry it is.
oh I'm not sure there might be a queen. That's just me though.
 

SandDeku

Arachnobaron
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A little problem... okay so a friend of mine told me that 2 days ago she saw some "flying ants" in a playground by the day care she works at- around 4pm. Problem is. I was outside at 4pm in my house and never saw any swarms.... am I too late?
 

nepenthes

Arachnobaron
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Its hard to say, you can always go look. I found a C. penn alate last night and never saw them actually fly. I'm sure you can find one still!
 

SandDeku

Arachnobaron
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Its hard to say, you can always go look. I found a C. penn alate last night and never saw them actually fly. I'm sure you can find one still!
I have been looking. You're very much lucky. Where and what time did you find it? How'd you find it? God if only we were in the same state. :c
 

johnwest

Arachnopeon
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Hii..hmmm interesting questions its very informatic and useful forum,I'm gaining my knowledge reading all these replies..But i'm sorry i don't have any idea regarding this better ask some of my other friends :)

------------------
classified website
 

nepenthes

Arachnobaron
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I look when the sun sets, if the conditions are right you can usually see them flying in the sunset. It's pretty neat really. Usually around street lights near woody areas.
 

SandDeku

Arachnobaron
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I look when the sun sets, if the conditions are right you can usually see them flying in the sunset. It's pretty neat really. Usually around street lights near woody areas.
THAT makes things a little clearer for me. Now I did not find a queen today but I saw under this brick where I -think- there is a satelite nest for these orangy-yellow ants which are fast as the dickens! Faster than any other ant I have seen in nj. They're not tiny; but not huge. Like decent sized enough for me to see them(i.e. not mite sized) and I saw a BUNCH of them under the rock/stone thingy. I never see them in that cluster(those colored ones) it's quite interesting. I'd like to know if I took a picture of the worker would you guys be able to id it? I can't say I see any major workers. Just minor workers.... I'd like to know what the queen would be. My guess it's a citronella ant but I'm not very sure.

---------- Post added 05-11-2013 at 08:03 PM ----------

THAT makes things a little clearer for me. Now I did not find a queen today but I saw under this brick where I -think- there is a satelite nest for these orangy-yellow ants which are fast as the dickens! Faster than any other ant I have seen in nj. They're not tiny; but not huge. Like decent sized enough for me to see them(i.e. not mite sized) and I saw a BUNCH of them under the rock/stone thingy. I never see them in that cluster(those colored ones) it's quite interesting. I'd like to know if I took a picture of the worker would you guys be able to id it? I can't say I see any major workers. Just minor workers.... I'd like to know what the queen would be. My guess it's a citronella ant but I'm not very sure.
P.s. I just want to save myself the trouble. would this product work on catching queens?

http://www.petguys.com/-09761265001...SEs&utm_medium=Shopzilla&utm_campaign=PetGuys
 

SandDeku

Arachnobaron
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Weird question but thought I'd give a try. say you build an ant nest out of ytong or something. Is it possible to attract a colony(including the queen-- even not-so-new colonies) into moving into said container?
 

Malhavoc's

Arachnoking
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Weird question but thought I'd give a try. say you build an ant nest out of ytong or something. Is it possible to attract a colony(including the queen-- even not-so-new colonies) into moving into said container?
In theory yes. Planting food nearby it often works, however, in practice 9/10 times its a satalite nest; you would have to make the fake nest more appealing then the natural world
 

SandDeku

Arachnobaron
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In theory yes. Planting food nearby it often works, however, in practice 9/10 times its a satalite nest; you would have to make the fake nest more appealing then the natural world
how so?

I could perhaps and this will sound effed up so pardon me. But umm xD I know these orange ants and I think it's the main nest. I could put a fake nest next to it and provide cover for the nest(well covered) from the elements and provide nourishment near the nest itself and while doing so leave the ants find it. Then break the normal nests' outer wall as to not accidentally harm the queen and do this once a day(they seem to build their nest quickly-- you have no idea how much they surprise me). and then slowly go up to 30% of the nest and the sorrounding areas that are not near the safe haven would be barren and full of water or such. How would you go about it though?
 

Malhavoc's

Arachnoking
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how so?

I could perhaps and this will sound effed up so pardon me. But umm xD I know these orange ants and I think it's the main nest. I could put a fake nest next to it and provide cover for the nest(well covered) from the elements and provide nourishment near the nest itself and while doing so leave the ants find it. Then break the normal nests' outer wall as to not accidentally harm the queen and do this once a day(they seem to build their nest quickly-- you have no idea how much they surprise me). and then slowly go up to 30% of the nest and the sorrounding areas that are not near the safe haven would be barren and full of water or such. How would you go about it though?
Ants selecting a new nest, is actualy very methodical, they use math, measurements, moisture, and many factors when locating a new nest, it can be very hard to mimic these if not impossible in a artificial nest, you essentialy have to win a democratic vote in the workers, to win the nest moving in, that is just one factor, don't forget it won't just be the ants that may want to move in, many animals would take advantage of that space that could do so before the ants move in.

If you know the location of the ant nest, it is better to go in with a shovel and a few rubber maid bins. dig out a huge amount of earth, filter, locate queen, and nest, and be done with it. by disturbing the ants, you run the chance of them moving away from the artificial one, and never finding them again. Ants don't select nest just by how close it is to the last one, infact I've seen them go out of their way in distance for a nest site.

and if it the parasitic species of ant we're talking about, don't forget they usualy live their entirelife under ground farming root scale bugs and the like, as well as fungus I believe, not an easy ant to culture, nor bait.
 

Malhavoc's

Arachnoking
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Parasitic? Please explain.... I never thought it was parasitic.
Citronella ants; the medium/small orange ants are a parasitic specieis; the queen doesnt found a coloney, she steals one. she finds a cousin specieis, sneaks into the nest, kills the founding queen, and assumes her place- slowely out breeding the origional ant, the new workers of the new queen, don't activly help do anything but groom the queen, the old workers, workthemselves to death, then the new workers seal the nest and begin their under ground life.
 

SandDeku

Arachnobaron
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Citronella ants; the medium/small orange ants are a parasitic specieis; the queen doesnt found a coloney, she steals one. she finds a cousin specieis, sneaks into the nest, kills the founding queen, and assumes her place- slowely out breeding the origional ant, the new workers of the new queen, don't activly help do anything but groom the queen, the old workers, workthemselves to death, then the new workers seal the nest and begin their under ground life.
Damn that seems hard to keep in captivity.
 

Malhavoc's

Arachnoking
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Damn that seems hard to keep in captivity.
In my experiance? yes. Though I've seen a few keepers who have managed it, though I think most did so via brood boosting to begin and careful refrigerator cycling
 

SandDeku

Arachnobaron
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In my experiance? yes. Though I've seen a few keepers who have managed it, though I think most did so via brood boosting to begin and careful refrigerator cycling
I just don't feel like I have a good chance at finding a queen now. I think my neighbor bombarded our yard with spray. (open fenced and they're a bit nosey) =n=
 

nepenthes

Arachnobaron
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I dont think you have to worry about that. Finding queens is more luck than anything (until you get a feel for when and where to look). You need to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy being outdoors looking for ants! Your stressing about it to much. You have all summer to find alates.
 

SandDeku

Arachnobaron
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I dont think you have to worry about that. Finding queens is more luck than anything (until you get a feel for when and where to look). You need to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy being outdoors looking for ants! Your stressing about it to much. You have all summer to find alates.
I thought you could only find them ONCE in summer(like 2-3 days in summer and that's the end for it until fall). I don't even know where to look to be honest. Mainly it's because I;m near sighted. Reason why I found those two queens a while ago was because they stayed still long enough for me to say "holy cheese these are queens!" plus they were the size of a bean. xD
 
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