Feeding my Beasties

[cliff]

Thanks!

Cliff

 

[Ant Worker]

Few months ago I was the one recieving the PM's and posts. lol too bad I left...

Pogo's are no easy ant to raise. I've had many queens fail, but when they succeed its great. They are also probably one of the easiest queens to " boost ". Or in other terms, add pupae to the queen so she doesn't have to lay her own eggs and start her own colony, she has them right there for her. Also speeds up the time from 1-2 months to a weeks max. After u get a queen, just look for a pogo nest, most of the time the pupae are right inside the nest entrance, not real deep in the nest so you can aquire them easily.

 

[dtknow]

Are Argentine ants suitable? Not the most interesting ant I know, but one I can realiably get queens from. My previous attempts used aquarium airline tubing plugged with tissue kept moist but with no water reservoir...all failed.

How can you tell a queen is mated? Are queens with wings always unmated? I know in one area carpenter ant queens or similar collect around lights to be found the next morning.

 

[nepenthes]

I personally wouldn't keep them cause 1 they would escape using 3-1 oil as a barrier.2- they are pests! They aren't native and they ruin habitat and destroy other ant colony's I personly would destroy any Argentine ant colony's. And you have to remember Ants like humidity thats probably why you're attempts failed. I don't know though.

As for the Queens you cant be 100 percent sure if they are mated, But I had a 1/6 chance of queens being unmated mated with wings this summer. It just depends I cant be 100 percent sure on anything, but you know I cant tell you for sure any thing its more of a hit or miss thing. If you can make sure youre female alate has mated with a male alate if you see a swarm! With pogonomyrmex you will see punny males (4-5) attacking a female to mate!

 

[cliff]

Few months ago I was the one recieving the PM's and posts. lol too bad I left...

Pogo's are no easy ant to raise. I've had many queens fail, but when they succeed its great. They are also probably one of the easiest queens to " boost ". Or in other terms, add pupae to the queen so she doesn't have to lay her own eggs and start her own colony, she has them right there for her. Also speeds up the time from 1-2 months to a weeks max. After u get a queen, just look for a pogo nest, most of the time the pupae are right inside the nest entrance, not real deep in the nest so you can aquire them easily.

This area is lousy with pogo colonies. They are scattered all over the desert. I did not know about the honey pots till Nepenthes metioned them. A little research shows them to be quite abundant. I will pursue this a little later when it warms up. Our highs are in the 30s and lows single digit.

 

[Gemeines]

I believe you about the pine sol smell, but a few things, where do you live? At least down to state would be fine (like "Im in South Western Ohio" would be fine), if you're worried about that kind of thing. Now when was the swarm? And where was it? It sounds allot like Lasius umbratus but I cant be certain!

Its not a pheromone, just a deafens mechanism to keep predators away, allot of people describe the smell as Citronella.

Central Columbus. Go Bucks! lol!

They come out in huge swarms in a deep crack in a concrete floor to a garage.
Time? I wanna say sometime in spring. (I know thats a broad answer but I am not sure) I used to sit my toadlets in the midst and supervise as they got their fill.

Again thanks for the info. Citronella.. yup. I guess if its a defensive smell I should avoid the vapor.

I will get pictures and post it when it happens. Even if this thread is long dead and gone by then.


O!! H!!


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[dtknow]

Nepenthes:

do you know of any good ant forums?

 

[Mr. Mordax]

Holy old thread revival, Batman!!