LukeyG21: Need advice on choosing a colony (25. Mär 2008 06:52)

Hi, I'm trying to figure out which ant colony would be good for me to start. The easiest ants to find where I live are common black ants (Monomorium minimum). However, I've read that the queens will only live about 1 year. I know mating takes place while flying, but will my colony produce new queens for themselves? The colony has to have a way to survive right?

JimmyVe: (25. Mär 2008 08:45)

Well Lukey, where do you live ? (USA i pretty big :) )
If colonies get bigger they will produce males ore queens but they don't mate with each other.

tail__: (25. Mär 2008 12:37)

Monomorium minimum is polygyn, so you can add new queens to the nest. Anyway, i wouldn't recommend such ants as first colony, they are so small that they are hard to observe. Maybe you should look for something bigger, like Formica or Pogonomyrmex, depending on where you live.

LukeyG21: (25. Mär 2008 14:23)

Well we do have carpenter ants here as well. I live in southeastern Kansas, but I was trying to get a colony that was more suited to living in soil, and from what I know, carpenter ants enjoy wood. Any suggestions? Thanks for the replies.

ducatiman: (25. Mär 2008 20:51)

try carpenter ants in ytong ,it works fine for me

miszt: (25. Mär 2008 21:15)

Carpenter ants dig in soil aswell as into wood, usually they will have the upper section of the nest in an old tree stump, and most of hte nest underground, the tree stump is then used in the summer as an incubator for brood

LukeyG21: (26. Mär 2008 00:36)

Thanks miszt, that's some really helpful info. I just might try to collect some then. :thumright:

JimmyVe: (26. Mär 2008 10:16)

In deed, you can keep them underground ore in a y-tong. Good luck at finding some. :)

LukeyG21: (26. Mär 2008 20:13)

Thanks. Nuptial flights for carpenters should be starting very soon so I'm pretty excited. \:D/