ANTSTORE World of Ants

[rupertv]

As there are stacks of them around at the moment I thought I'd try and start a 2nd colony with a captured queen (my existing one came from Antstore).

Presumably all I need to do is get one that's wandering around on the ground with one or both wings missing.

Once I've got her home is it more advisable to start her off in something like a test tube (I don't have one so it will be something like) or is it better to put her into the ant farm (i.e. the thin one) to burrow?

Cheers all

Rupert

[miszt]

Put her in a test tube that way you can keep any eye on her progress, make sure the cotton wool is tight when you plug the water up

[rupertv]

should it be just water or does it need to be sweetened?

[miszt]

No it must be pure water, sugar dehydrates ants, so they must have a source of water and sugar, your new queen wont need to eat for many months however, infact until the first workers arrive she should be ok, although you can speed up her egg production a little by providing her with easy food, maybe a fruit fly and a couple of grains of sugar every couple of weeks

[JimmyVe]

Don't forget it all depends on which species you have. Most species (queens) can start a colony on there own but some species need slaves. These are harder to start off with so i would suggest you go for an easy species.

[Trip33]

hi question ehre for u miszt. does the test tube have to be a certain size or can it be smaller? and what happens if your water resivoir runs out? how would i go about putting more water in without disrupting the queen

[highered]

The test tube size can be smaller. Just think does the queen have enough space to move alittle and consider the space of the new workers (and eggs). The water should not run out until long after you have moved your colony to a bigger home. There is no way to fill the water up without disrupting the nest unless the other end of the test tube has been cut off and stopped with cotton wool.

[SteveUK28]

You can use a long needle syringe to refill the test tube.. but it should last for some time.

[miszt]

hi question ehre for u miszt. does the test tube have to be a certain size or can it be smaller? and what happens if your water resivoir runs out? how would i go about putting more water in without disrupting the queen

if the water runs out, as Steve suggested a needle & syringe can work to re-fill it, otherwese you can just put the test tube in a basin/tank/box, and put a fresh test tube in with it, so the colony will have access to a fresh supply of water, they may even move straight into the new test tube (although this usually requires a few extra 'pushes' to get them to move, all that info is in the caresheet )

[Trip33]

cool lol thanks guyss looking forward to seeing some eggs =D. and one more question what will happen if i put 2 queens in that sam set up?

[Trip33]

one more question. i out in a fly i caught outside in teh tube. i boiled it prior to putting it in but the queen isnt eating it. its eating the honey i put in instead. should i jsut take out the fly or leave it in there for 48 hours

[miszt]

Queens dont need to eat until the first workers are born, in nature she would stay sealed in a tiny hole in ground/wood/etc for several months without eating

[Trip33]

oaky so no food then huh?

[JimmyVe]

Not necessary, but you can give her some, if she don't accept it leave it for a few days, but take it out before it gets mouldy.