MrILoveTheAnts: (11. Jul 2007 15:00)

Another problem would be X-rays. Even if you have one mailed to you, if her package is X-rayed she will only be able to produce males.

nepenthes_ak: (12. Jul 2007 00:03)

And some species feel the need to de-alate comfortably under something like a leaf or rocks, a board would be no different I would think.

Bob: (12. Jul 2007 04:32)

MrILoveTheAnts,

If the package is x-rayed the queen wont be able to reproduce anything other than males? This is the first time I'm hearing this. Where did you hear that? Are you speaking from personal experience or is established scientific fact? Do fill us in.

nepenthes_ak: (12. Jul 2007 04:44)

Well, So far its just theory (as much as I know), but assuming ants are any thing like people X-rays can mess with reproductive organs making a person sterile. So in ants, a queen would lay sterile eggs, producing males.

MrILoveTheAnts: (12. Jul 2007 05:35)

[quote="Bob"]MrILoveTheAnts,

If the package is x-rayed the queen wont be able to reproduce anything other than males? This is the first time I'm hearing this. Where did you hear that? Are you speaking from personal experience or is established scientific fact? Do fill us in.[/quote]

I knew someone who worked at a lab that studied ants. Whenever they received queens from Australia for some reason they would only produce males. They later discovered X-rays were causing this ... spontaneous abortion (if that frays applies to ants) as it does with pregnant women. This is why they used to use (still use?) what looks like tinfoil on ultrasounds, to help protect the baby.

Bob: (12. Jul 2007 08:15)

MrILoveTheAnts,

Thanks for sharing that. Anyone else with a similar experience? I imagine individuals in Europe who order exotic ants also have packages that get x-rayed. Have any of you experienced queens who only produce males after they were shipped/air mailed to Europe/ Do share.

JimmyVe: (12. Jul 2007 08:48)

I received ants from Argentina once without any problems.

nepenthes_ak: (12. Jul 2007 14:17)

Yea, but Australia is very strict about their trade laws, very much like the USA, because they have allot of serious pest species. Cane Toads is one example. That was brought in by Man on purpose, but its the only species I can think of! lol.

I wouldn't be surprised if Argentina wouldn't care as much as the USA, or Australia do.

Skippy: (12. Jul 2007 16:35)

I also received ants from Argentina ,from many European countries ,from Israel ,from Thailand (very strict)
,all without problem

Skippy

Bob: (12. Jul 2007 17:45)

Hmmm I'm thinking these packages were exrayed ( I can't imagine they weren't). Perhaps certain species of ants are more suceptable to the effects of the exray than others.