What ants are avaliable in Canada?

[Metzgermeister]

Hey, does anyone know if it is possible to get any leafcutter ants in Canada or are they restricted due to "enviromental concerns"?


Also, are there any interesting ants that are available in Canada that would be recommended?

 

[Ant Worker]

Hi,
As far as I'm aware, there are no laws pertaining importing of ants in canada as I have a friend who had a few lasius niger queens shipped to him.

First, have you kept ants before? Under no circumstances should someone start out with Atta/Acromyrmex sp. They require very specific conditions to thrive and I don't know many people who have done it successfully. Colonies of Leaf cutters require a lot of space, humidity and will take a lot of vegitation that has to be to their liking. If this is your first time, I wouldn't just go out and buy some of these as they are expensive.


As for other interesting species, there are many, I would recommend visiting: http://queenant.proboards82.com/ Where you can ask and get more personal opinions, I have no expierence with canadian species, but ants can be purchased on the site as well.

Try:
http://www.antstore.biz/de/shop01/
Not currently in stock, but I've seen them many times on the site, they appear to just be out, email to make sure they will send to canada.
http://www.martingoss.co.uk/
Has some, email to make sure they ship to canada. Also make sure that your getting a queen, sometimes just workers will be sold.

Good luck in your new hobby!

 

[Metzgermeister]

Ok, thanks a lot for the warning and the links. Would Lasius flavus be a good species to start with?

 

[Ant Worker]

Lasius Flavus are primarily subterrianian. Rarely comming out, they normally harvest root aphids on underground plants. I'd say get Lasius niger, Myrmica ruba, or Formica fusca. All 3 are great beginer ants that you should be able to get a hold of.

 

[Ganoderma]

im not positive but i believe they are restricted. more than liekly due to fire ants. most insects are restricted for agricultural reasons, especially herbivours. you will find canada and bcs govenrment website is more than helpfull.

 

[Ant Worker]

The climate of canida is too cold for Solenopsis invicta (red fire ant) or Linepithema humile (argentine ant), which both come from tropical regions in South America.

 

[Bayushi]

Carolina Biological won't ship ants to canada unless the person/institution purchasing the ants has the papers saying thay can own them. Same with termites. So i guess the legality here is.. it is only legale if you have the permits for ownership otherwise... it's not..

 

[Ant Worker]

I believe that is because the sender is in the US, any trade involving the us and pertaining ants requires a permit. Like I can't send ants to the UK without having a permit, but people in the UK can trade with other european countries and people in canada.

 

[Metzgermeister]

keep it simple

Ok, i think i'll just wait until the nuptial flights and get some queens then. What kind of enclosure do they need (screen top small enough so they cant get out) and what size?

 

[Ant Worker]

Ant's can be raised in virtually any type of enclosure but here is what I prefer:
Get a test tube, fill it half way with water, then plug upthe water with a piece of cotton so it should looke like this:
[ = hard plastic end, --- = empty space.
[waterwaterwater(cotton)---queen----(cotton)

Now put her somewhere warm, and let her go about her business! This method allows you to rear the queen and be able to check her progress once a week or so making sure she is alive and well.

After you have workers you can go for a few different options:

--Plaster nest, basically its a block of plaster with chambers carved out and a piece of plexiglass on top, with a clear tube conecting the nest to an empty container which is used for foraging, this is where you place the food items.

--Dirtless test tube set up. Basically all you have to do is take a container and set the test tube in it and find a way to stick it to the floor so it doesn't roll. The tube is the nest, the rest of the area the tube is in is the foraging area.
(Make sure you remove the cotton plug so the ants can forage)

--My version of "dirtless". Mine involves dirt though, its just modified a bit. Take a container, put some sand in the bottom, and set the open test tube on the dirt, push it into the dirt a little bit. This gives the ants a place to nest where you can see them, and also a natural forageing area. Make sure the sand you put in as the substraite is DRY.

--Aquariums or dirt set ups. These set ups involve people who really like to see ants digging and making mounds and looking like a wild colony. When I have a colony I want to do this for, I get a 10g aquarium and fill it 1/3-1/2 of the way full of MOIST (not wet or too dry) dirt. Then adding some rocks, plants, sticks, whatever else you want to decorate the cage with. Make sure nothing has been treated with pesticides!


Keeping the ants in.

--Plaster, only thing that you need to worry about (as long as the glass on top of the chambers sets without any gaps) is the foraging area. I use store purchased gladware containers and I use the lids without adding extra holes into it, the opening and closing of the container for feeding/observations will allow enough air to circulate.

--Dirtless/ semi "dirtless" (my version). I again use store purchased containers and I use the lids.

--Aquariums. Hardest to keep the ants in, some people never even use lids at all, and the ants stay in, I find this to be incorrect with my species as I had one colony get out and devistate the colony next to them.
You can use screen, but the screen must be very small in hole size, tiny!!! Some species that are under 7mm I wouldn't recommend screen for at all.
Commonly a few things are used: Patrulium jelly smeared around the edge of the tank (works only for some species), moats that the tank sits in water, when the ants come down the outside they can't get past the barrier and will turn back, and glad press and seal wrap which can be placed over top and sealed, but its expensive to maintain it, you have to constantly change the top as it starts to come loose.

-Ant

 

[Ganoderma]

giant african land snails, african millipedes, phasmids etc cant do too well in canadas climate either, but htey are still illegal. land snails arnt allowe dbecaus eof the outbreaks in cali and florida, fire ants are coming up in teh states and is why i assume canada doesnt allow them. it may not be logical, but it is canadian government.

i am pretty sure that no isect is legally allowed with agriculture permits. i knwo for a fact in bc to keep phasmids, beetles, miliipedes etc you HAVE to have permits to legally own them. and to get them you need to have your quarantine and keeping room inspected. i tried about 5 years ago and gave up.

i doubt if any authority really gives 2***** but when using it for an income, or displaying or shipping across customs i'm sure you will run into problems.

the only reason i am not sur eabout ants is cause some are carnivours and i do not know where the gov stands on this issue.

after that there are municipal laws as well, but not many places impose rules on bugs unless of the arachnid kind, that i have seen anyway.

Metzgermeister, honestly i think your best chance is havign them sent express post through the mail. its the only way i was able to get certain bugs through from the states, although i only bothered 2 times.