Dr.House: (1. Sep 2007 19:08)

@willi461: You should get experience with a local ant not because you then will know what an exotic one needs (how should you learn that from a local ant ^^) but you will know if it is the right hobby for you, after one year and holidays you will know what to do when you leave two weeks for holidays (someone has to take care of em) you will know how to prepare your Formicarium, to stop them escaping and much more things.

And after one or two years you will be ready for exotic ants, you have collected loads of knowledge from reading and by taking care of ants.
I think that is meant by "having experience" ... and that's the reason why no one should start with exotic ants ... . Everyone makes mistakes, why doing them with expensive exotic ants? Ant colonies become big and very old sometimes ... over five years. it's not that easy to give them away when you have three tanks full of Atta. Also you can't put them into nature, not only that they would die, but they may carry parasites and such which can have major infects on local environment.

Although, nobody may stop you from buying exotic ants, but it would be better making experiences with local species and if you know how to handle em we will be glad to help you on your next projects.

greetings

Skippy: (1. Sep 2007 19:20)

I think Dr.House and Necturus says right.

I started with exotic ants afte 6 years with local ants ,so I got much of experience with it. And it is really true ,exotic ants needs your experience and colonies growing fast ,I received 3 months ago one camponotus 1 queen and ca 100 workers ,now? ,1 queen and maybe 400 workers ,AFTER 3 MONTHS ! ,and it is Camponotus ,and they growing slower like other species. And in my experience ,Atta colonies growing fast ,so if is Camponotus slowly ,what is Atta ? ,500 workers per month or what? ... I think and we can also see ,leaf cutter ants are for professionals ,which has experience with exotic and local ants ,also with exotic animal (spiders ,geckons) . So ... wait with it ,,, I ordering only now my first Acromyrmex for example ... I think is better if will dead some local ant or some cheaper ant ,no atta or acro.
I think you´ll understand this text

Thanks for your reading ;)

Skippy

JimmyVe: (2. Sep 2007 14:58)

I must stick with the last tree post one this. There are always people who can not wait to buy exotic ants, it up to you to decide, but i also think you need a bit off experience to keep them. How much is up to you, if you think you can handle them it fine by me, but like Necturus said, look in to the future. ;)

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