File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Stepped out into the restaurant lobby to do a sweep and mop one day, and noticed a large ant wandering along the floor. I knew what she was immediately.

I've long wanted to start a formicarium, and did try once or twice in the past when I had no clue what I was doing. Anyway, I've had the queen ant for about a year now, and a few months ago she finally started laying.

Last night I noticed the first worker scurrying about in her (for now) test tube home...
>> Anonymous
Oh... Congrats, or something.
>> Anonymous
nice man, Wilson would be proud
>> Anonymous
Is it an argentine ant queen?

If so, fuck you.
>> Anonymous
How did you take care of it for a year?
>> Anonymous
um...now what?
>> Anonymous
what does one feed an any, i can only see them as food for other things
>> Anonymous
Oh, great. Another "name my baby ant" thread.
>> Anonymous
>>221584"another"?
>> Tyler !L.rG/tZANk
Thats pretty cool, how did it all of a sudden lay eggs? Magic?
>> Anonymous
put it in a fucking jar with dirt, she would have layed eggs the second you put her in there r-tard.
>> gizmogal !MmLOyiCYJs
um... congrats? lol really, though, kinda neat.
hope she LIVES.
>> Anonymous
god, I've never wanted to kill something more, and I LOVE SPIDERS.

...ohgod *shudder*
>> Anonymous
I'd tried a jar of dirt before; I found one that had gotten in under the door. That one dug a tunnel, laid a couple eggs and died. That was when I was a child.

A few years back I found one that had got in my apartment and was wandering lost on my bathroom floor. I placed her in an ant farm. She laid eggs and eventually I walked by one day to 100 ants running around my bookshelf (they were so small they fit right through the sides). After I sealed the edges mold formed, acting like glue when the queen touched it. She died shortly after.

I have no idea what this one is. Only thing I've ever seen in my hometown are black and red ants, and recently giant black ones that dig in trees. This one is brown.

Housing has been a test tube. Filled with water, then sealed in with a cotton ball. This acts as a barrier that provides water but doesn't flood through. As for food, I had not fed her until yesterday.

She always refused to eat, and I later read that queens remove their wings to dig, and for a while their body consumes their old wing muscles to survive.

She went for months without laying or eating, and I just kept her with water and hoping she'd eventually decide the time was right. She seems to have timed it so that she'll have a group of workers around the time of year I caught her.

Soon as I saw the worker I knew it would need to eat, so I offered her honey on a q-tip. The worker ignored it, but the queen fed on it for several hours.

Currently I've enlarged the space granted to a simple enclosure surrounded by petroleum jelly and a water moat to keep them in. The worker, however, has not left the nest and I assume it knows to stay with her and help take care of her sisters.
>> gizmogal !MmLOyiCYJs
>>221955
wow, that's pretty neat. :)
>> Anonymous
Freakin awesome, keep us posted.
>> Anonymous
I'm highly intrigued. That sounds special
>> Anonymous
It's an ant man. Just let it life in your garden and watch your personal army grow.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>222147
Now what's the fun in that when you can watch the tunneling and see how things are run underground?
>> Anonymous
Holy crap, man, that's cool. Keep us posted on her progress.
>> WTF SPIDER Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Okay, this scared the hell out of me.

I walked up to peek in on her just now and there's -- get this.

There's a spider sharing the test tube with her.

I look immediately at her and realize she's still alive. Apparently he thought it was a good hiding spot and, somehow, ignored her.

He made a web bed and blocked her in.

I just picked up the tube, tiny screwdriver in the other hand, and knocked him out in a quick scooping motion. He got stuck in the water moat and I killed him.

Geez, guess I need something safer...

I was too panicked to bother taking a picture (though I sketched in what I more or less saw into the after image).
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Best I can guess about the spider was it lowered in. It did not seem capable of crossing the water... Miracle it didn't bite her, really.
Maybe the spider thought she was too large and dangerous, and thus made a web barrier she'd get caught in...and then waited. Friend suspects it was a trap-making spider.

I've since corked it back up and will wait until I have more workers / have a safer place to let them roam. They didn't seem to want to leave the tube anyway.

Pic is how I've kept her all this time.

I got tired of having to take her out to replace the water (this was not only stressful on her, and dangerous to try and get her back in without hurting her, but I knew it wouldn't work when there were eggs to deal with)... so I drilled two holes in the water compartment, and use a needle to inject water (must be sealed again or the water leaks through the cotton into her compartment).

Also, betta.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
This was another prince or princess ant I caught last year. Found it sitting on a friend's shoulder, of all places.

Apparently, though, this one failed on the mating flight. If it were female it would've removed it's wings... and if it were male it would die after mating. It's not going to do anything exciting, at any rate.
>> Anonymous
I am ridiculously fascinated with these ants. I propose a mod sticky this thread.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
In Europe you can find quite a lot of sites for the sale of queens... Good if you're over there and interested in this sort of thing.

Useless stateside though. Unless they might sell you a decent ant farm. Those childish plastic ones aren't meant for tiny ants (as I learned rather quickly).

What I'd really love is a colony of Mexican honeypot ants. Of course, the US is really strict about the sale of queens, to prevent accidental release into new areas.

Still, I've always been interested in their unusual way of storing food -- certain ants act as living food dispensers. Decent pic I found on the web shows this.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>> Anonymous
I can't stop being interested XD

Maybe you should get a new ant farm, make sure it's secure, and prepare it before you have to move her?
>> Anonymous
>>222513

Well, that much is obvious. This worker is larger than the ones the smaller black queen produced, but still small enough to escape easily.

The old plastic types were made for carpenter ant workers that you send off for -- which are as large as the queen.

Actually making a formicarium (ant farm) or ordering a high-quality one has been on my mind for awhile now.

Things I've read suggest that you don't need one at the beginning -- the tube you start the queen in is an adequate home for a while.

With that in mind, introducing them to a flat sandy enclosure where they can gather food was the next step. They can't dig here, as it's just a thin layer of dry sand.

Later, the common ant-farm type setup would be introduced by tube-tunnel. Clear panels holding in a deep but narrow enclosure of moist dig-appropriate soil/sand.

The ants supposedly will know this is better and will eventually carry the young and escort the queen to it. I think it was suggested to let the tube and foraging sites to run low on water to force them to transfer. However, the foraging grounds remain afterward as the place where you give them food.

I have a feeling I won't have to worry about all this for quite some time. I remember reading that the tube home was apparently "adequate" until things start to get crowded.

I just got a little overzealous to see the solitary worker move about. After the little spider incident, I won't be doing anything hasty again. XD
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Funny. I caught a queen bee yesterday and am trying to rear it too. Do you think just honey water is enough sustenance for these girls? (They're pretty closely related so I figure their basic needs shouldn't be that disimilar.)
>> gizmogal !MmLOyiCYJs
>>222479
aw man I've always wanted to see a live honeypot ant... I read about them a few times. D:
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>222455

My spider assassin's plan fails. >(
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>222583
Oh wow. I'm not altogether certain about bees. I admire bee culture as much as ants, though I've never imagined trying to raise a colony like a beekeeper.

<< took this one in Butterfly World, Florida last year.
>> Anonymous
This thread is really, really awesome. Thank you for sharing your pictures and story. Please, keep us updated. :)
>> Anonymous
>>221561
Relevant to my interests
>> Anonymous
Why do I find this so interesting?!

OP please keep up posted!
>> Brown Recluse !T9pmgY723w
>>222585

I think I've seen a honeypot ant before... do they live in southern Ontario? I doubt it...
>> Anonymous
>>222649
Yeah I wouldn't try normally but it should be managable since she's a bumblebee. They're really passive and apparently only have 50-100 bees per hive.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>222713
European sites sell them but they were very expensive, so...may've been imported. They don't seem to have law regarding ant sales there.

Apparently there are mexican ones, which is new to me, but one site referred to them as "the mexican honeypot ant", aka "Myrmecocystus mexicanus"

They're in Australia, I know that from most things I've heard about them, including the Aborigines having used them in recipes.

However... I'm aware there's some zoos and museums that have exhibits of their colonies (saw some pics here and there that claimed they were taken in a Washington DC museum or Cincinnati Zoo).
>> Anonymous
Wow, strangely this is really interesting
>> Anonymous
Bump for interesting ants.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Well, if there's anything to update with, it's that they're still doing alright. No new workers. I find this surprising considering my last one did that whole "suddenly there's 50-70 ants running frantically outside the ant farm".

*digs up pic of that queen, circa June 27, 2004*

But, well... the girl I was living with at the time... About that whole escaping ants thing? ... ... ... yeah, she really loved that.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
There we go... A freshly hatched worker, still a bit white until the exoskeleton dries.
>> Anonymous
>>223292
How many ants are there now?
>> Anonymous
Yay, an update!

... Yay, new ant!
>> Anonymous
I find this really interesting. I've admired ants since I read the book "Les Fourmis (The Ants) by Bernard Werber, so I'm looking forward to more updates.
>> Anonymous
This is pretty awesome
>> Anonymous
Dude, that tube has to be darkened. It's permanent stress if the ant is in bright light. AFAIR (I had a small colony several years ago) they don't react to red light, so at least put some red plastic foil or something like that around it. Also, if you want to keep it you should think about building a real nest out of Ytong (I don't know its name in the US) witch you can water easily and an area outside of the nest, where they can fetch food (and water). Which leads to the next point: They need some insects as soon as possible. If you'll feed them only honey they will be weak as hell. Try small flies or something. Starting small colonies is especially difficult because the first workers are small and weak and can't really chop up bigger prey with harder scales. Hence small flies or mosquitoes.

p.s. about in August, if you are watchful, you'll see many queens running around the streets. Just if you want to give it a try...
>> Anonymous
>>223376
Les Formiciens is superior

http://www.yozone.fr/spip.php?article3280
>> Anonymous
first visit to /an/

and sure it will be my last
>> Anonymous
This is awsome, I've loved ants since I first played Sim Ant. I could never get a sucessful ant farm going though.
>> Anonymous
Like anon pointed out they need protein as well as sugars. You could try mixing egg white into their honey until they're strong enough to take on insects.
>> Anonymous
Bump
>> Anonymous
>>223459
Me too
>> Anonymous
is there a particular kind that is easy to raise? I might want to get one started myself.
>> Anonymous
>>223511
me too! haha. After seeing OP's i really am stoked on starting.
>> Anonymous
>>221561

dried fish flakes, beef jerky, sugar. That's what ants pretty much eat.

Also, you should try to get a terranium of sorts for the ant. The point is to keep the soil completely free of bacteria - don't just bring in a jar of dirt, put said dirt in the oven for 30 min to bake off all the oven for a bit, then cool.

Also, keep a shallow dish of water. Ants need moisture just like others.

the best way to seal off everything (funnily enough) is to get a tall aquarium or other container with really tall walls, and put a couple large rubber bands around the outside walls. Ants hate the smell of rubber, and won't go beyond it.
>> Anonymous
>>223395
>>223499
>>223540
Fairly aware of most of this. I didn't have insects handy when the first worker appeared, so I figured to offer honey for starters.

I plan to start catching and feeding them insects when they start becoming readily available. As of now we've just melted the last batch of snow. Some of the suggestions here will help for alternate diet choices in winter.

I've never heard of them being repulsed by rubber. I'll have to try that out as an additional containment method (can't hurt).

Another note... I've read one should boil the insects you're going to feed to your ants for a few seconds (prevents bacteria and mold from getting in).
>> Anonymous
sweet; ant related: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw-LzhMd4Tg

ant farm with some sort of gel instead of a more natural opaque substrate. I thought it was pretty cool.
>> Anonymous
better time-lapse video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pb7MYA1Go8
>> Anonymous
>>223573
looks sweet, but I heard that gel is terrible for the ants.
>> Anonymous
>>223554
>>Another note... I've read one should boil the insects you're going to feed to your ants for a few seconds (prevents bacteria and mold from getting in).

That's not really necessary. Ants have a gland (metathoracal gland) that produces fungicides and bactericides. That's why you won't see mold in a nest (excluding the dump).
>> Anonymous
>>223621
I may do it anyway as a precaution, as my previous queen died to a white fuzzy growth that bound her like spiderweb.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Found some old pics (note the red plastic).
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Here a clear view.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
And that's the nest I built afterwards. It doesn't look fancy but it worked well.
>> Anonymous
why dont you just make an ant farm casing out of plexiglass? it shouldnt be too hard. Just buy 2 sheets of plexiglass and then melt the sides to connect to eachother, cut 4 long rectangles out of the two sheets and then melt the ends together or nail them if you want something bigger. you can add super small air holes at the top and install a hinge and lock mechnism on the opposite side.
>> Anonymous
>>223654
Because ants like it dark inside their homes. Those antfarms you can buy are an abomitnation. As well as your idea.
>> gizmogal !MmLOyiCYJs
>>223633
neat, hope it works!
>> Anonymous
>>223633
OP started to make one like this, too. I didn't have proper containers for it, though. I'd also want some tan or white sand so I can see the ants easier... I'll have to go shopping. :P
>> Anonymous
try to put some rubber bands along the lines of the water

sure, ants aren't that dumb to drown themselves in big numbers, but you wouldn't want any of them to slip in by accident


part of the hivemind or not, you should love every one of them


bonus points if each of them gets a name
>> Anonymous
>>223743
The inner saucer actually had a coarse texture on the outer side so they had enough grip and I didn't ever find a drowned ant. However, if yours is smooth that might do well.

>>223739
Try a shop for aquaristics if you want white or tan sand. Usually they have a broad range of different gravel and sand.

On a side note, back then I made the nest from plaster. I don't recommend it though because the plaster started to dissolve after some time where I used to drip water on it (in order to keep the nest moist). I don't know why because I always thought plaster doesn't dissolve again after setting. So now I recommend gas/aerated concrete blocks like>>222154. Also, this pic is a good example: You can put the whole block into a saucer with water. Like that you have different conditions throughout the nest. Very moist on the bottom and drier at the top. That's important because the ants use those areas differently.
>> Anonymous
What did you name her?
>> Anonymous
More! more! This is fascinating.
>> noops
Bump.
>> Anonymous
sticky this shit
>> Anonymous
>>221561
Holy the fuck the thought of 100 ants running around my bookself creeps the living shit out of me. FUCK.
>> Anonymous
>>224017
It's not that bad. Afterall, they can't (usually) escape.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Ok, I found two more pics of the nest. They are blurry but you get the idea. As you can, maybe, see, they sealed the chamber to the left with sand. That's normal since they'd open it again if more workers hatched.
The biggest chamber was used as a dump at this point.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
2/2
>> Anonymous
OP, please give us more updates

I lurve your ants
>> Anonymous
>>224029
Looking good.
>> Anonymous
OP reporting in. As of now it seems I have 4 workers. I'll see about pictures when possible, though it's getting hard to see them all at once. :P

Also that seems like a neat little nest the other guy made.
>> Anonymous
>>221579
I agree with this post. Although it's better to capture an argentine ant instead of letting her roam free, I suppose. But in any case, I know exactly where you're coming from.

>>221597
Argentine Ant queens are fertilized only once, but like other insects, they can store the sperm from their mating and decide when to deposit eggs.

>>222467
Males are usually pretty small and weak, I'm pretty sure you have a princess there.

>>222479
Honeypot ants are indeed pretty awesome, who'd ever imagine a caste that just sits around and acts as a living, breathing granary?

>>223397
And E.O. Wilson's book, "The Ants" is more superior of them all considering he dedicated his life to formicology and developed kin selection etc.
>> Anonymous
Op here. Don't know what this "argentine ant" was all about, but I've never seen an ant this color in this area so I looked it up. It may very well be.
>> Anonymous
to OP,
how did you make that red chamber? ive decided i want to build a farm like that.
>> Anonymous
Op here. The pictures of the round sandy place and red chambers are by another person.
>> Anonymous
>>224135
Argentine ants are kind of like fire ants or killer bees. They're a nuisance to the environment, pushing out native species of and and other insects as well as the animals that depend on them for survival, and because they form massive mega-colonies and are highly adaptable it's virtually impossible to get rid of them. They're extremely aggressive and on hot summer days are known to swarm and kill small terrarium pets as well as newborn puppies and kittens, etc.
>> Anonymous
>>224270
Killer ant colony as for pets? I SAID FUCK YEAH
>> Anonymous
>>224270
I find that highly concerning as I keep about a dozen turtles as well. Fortunately most are aquatic species, but still... I'll have to be extra sure they don't escape. :P

I'd like to think it's not an Argentine, but from what I can tell...well it looks a bit like the pictures, and it clearly isn't a red or black ant (only ones I've ever seen here)...

I'm accepting that it could be an introduced species that's somewhat new in the area (I did move away for several years, so I haven't been looking).

I've actually found both black AND red varieties aside from this brown ant in the past year. As mentioned, the black one never removed her wings and must not be fertilized. The red one (even smaller than the black one) had started to remove it's wings immediately after I caught it on the window outside my job), but apparently escaped on my trip home from work. Never could find it. Rather a bummer, that.
>> Anonymous
>>224202
I built that one. It's actually fairly simple: I took a plastic cover and filled it with plaster. After it settled I took a nail and scraped the plaster off where I wanted the chambers to be. Finally I took a small glass pane and just placed it on top of it. The red stuff is red plastic foil I cut out of a bigger sheet. That's it. However, I don't recommend the plaster method. But you can give it a try, maybe the plaster I've used was shitty or something.
>> Anonymous
bump. This tread must stay on the frontpage
>> Anonymous
>>224429
i know. we need more ants! hatch them puppies and start your army!!!!
>> Anonymous
any updates?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
OP here. Managed to get them all in a picture finally.
>> Anonymous
Also... I've noticed that now there are four of them, they're actually starting to do things, such as constantly shifting the young around. When it was just the queen and one or two of them, they'd just mill around.
>> Anonymous
sweet, i wanna grow my own army now. have you started feeding them yet?
>> Anonymous
>>224509
Pfft, conformists...
>> Anonymous
By the way, don't make the first nest too big. They'll always prefer a smaller nest over a big one (according to the size of the colony). Once it gets too cramped though, you can offer a bigger nest and they'll eventually move.
Also, you can make them move faster if you let the old nest dry out while the new one is damp, for example.
>> Anonymous
Coolest shit ever.

Me and my friend tried to start an ant farm when we were 10 or something. We got an aquarium, filled with sand from the playground and went ant hunting. We managed to overturn a black ant colony pretty easily and began to chase the small ones into a water bottle and tried to pick the bigger ones up by fingers--except, those larger ants seemed to be the solider variety had huge mandibles. Long story short, getting bitten by an ant on the webbing between your fingers kinda hurts.
>> Anonymous
bump
>> Anonymous
sweet thread, more
>> Anonymous
Quickie update. Looks like there're 5 now. :P
>> Anonymous
Thanks, OP.

This thread is fascinating.
>> Anonymous
So anon finally breeds his army of intelligent zombies
>> Anonymous
I was about halfway through reading this thread, and I went to take a drink of cordial. I thought I felt something floating in the cordial in my mouth and for some reason I was so sure it was dozens of ants, and in a gag reflex I spat cordial all over my sheets.
There was fucking nothing in my cordial.
Goddamit /an/
>> Anonymous
>>224823
Laughed SO hard.
>> Anonymous
>>221561

are you having fun playing dwarf fortress
>> Anonymous
>>224823I had a similar incidence once, but involving beer and a wood roach. Was hanging outside, just chilling and enjoying the weather, drinking beer and watching the world roll by. Went to take a swig of my beer and felt something brush my lips, repeatedly. I spat out what was in my mouth, and poured out the beer, to find that a big wood roach had crawled into the can.
>> Anonymous
>>223395
>They need some insects as soon as possible. If you'll feed them only honey they will be weak as hell. Try small flies or something. Starting small colonies is especially difficult because the first workers are small and weak and can't really chop up bigger prey with harder scales. Hence small flies or mosquitoes.

That's cool as hell. Are they ants, or are they replicators?
>> Anonymous
>>225295

Me again:>>224823

One time I was staying in a holiday home with a friend and I left an open can of fanta next to my bed during the night. The next morning I drank from it and it tasted funny. I took another drink and then poured some into a glass so my friend could try it.
After I poured the Fanta into the glass I saw that hundreds of small buds and crawled in and drowned during the night.
I think that's what strengthened my phobia of bugs in my drinks.
Fucking hell I quiver just to think about that moment.
>> Anonymous
Wow, this thread is still alive. Awesome
>> Anonymous
stayin' alive, stayin' alive
>> Anonymous
bump for great ant justice
>> Anonymous
Why the hell am I getting turned on by this thread?
>> Anonymous
I really wish you could get queens in the US. :<
>> Anonymous
moar
>> Anonymous
op where art thou
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>225295
>>225861

I was trying to drink lots of water on the night before knee surgery a couple years ago and felt something solid in my mouth. I spit the water back into the glass. Then I got my camera. Then I couldn't sleep.

The spider's probably about a square inch and all furry. And it was in my mouth. Ick.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Aww, you guys kept my thread alive while I've been away. Hood've thunkit my ants were that interesting?

Not a lot of exciting news, just the 5 workers still. Been busy with worth and other such things.

However, the workers do seem to have gotten larger... or at least, fatter than I remember.
>> Moonbarker Osbourne
>>226464

Go to SanFrancisco, they're everywhere
>> Anonymous
>>227547

You going to make one of those ant colonies where it looks like a bunch of Tupperware containers connected by tubing?
>> Anonymous
>>227399

I'm not sure if I'd of been able to go on living after an experience like that.
>> Anonymous
i went to the cemetary today to visit my father but while i was cleaning the slot for the flowers, i noticed it had been filled with dirt. as i was digging the dirt out, there was a SHITLOAD of ants and EGGS.

if i wanted to, could i have just taken the dirt, ants and eggs and put them in a jar or something at home?
>> Anonymous
>>227592
You would need the queen too. Without the queen they would very likely live along but there wouldn't be any offspring produced so they would die out after some time. Catching the queen like that is unlikely too because she GTFO if there's a major disturbance. Of course, if it was a polygynous species with multiple queens your chances would be much better.
>> Anonymous
I nominate this as the best thread on 4chan.

I've never really liked ants, never been interested in ant farms. Yet this thread still makes me happy inside.

For some reason I am genuinely interested in the outcome of this.
>> Anonymous
>>227604
Same. At first this thread gave me the creepy crawlies but now I like it. Hey OP, any chance you could make a blog about these ants so you could update us?
>> Anonymous
>>225861

A fun story to go along with that.
Did you know that little roaches love to crawl into Kix boxes and die?
I didn't until I had a mouth full of them and then looked into the bottom of the box.
Go-oo-ood times.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>227945
I've been thinking about it.

I've got a secondary MySpace account I made for pics/blog for an MMO character's story, but I abandoned that idea before it even got off the ground (quit playing).

I may convert that to be the colony's page or something silly like that. It'd be a good way to put up pics/blog/humor/etc... I'll let you guys know if/when I get to that.

And now a pic that has a slightly better look at the pile of white young... Still kind of hard to focus THAT small through plastic. :P
>> Anonymous
>>227399

haha! awesome.. a female red backed jumping spider. not very poisonous, but they can give you one hell of a bite!
>> Anonymous
That's it, I am going to try to find a Queen myself and start a colony.

This is the best thread I've ever seen on /an/, instead of the stupid "is my dog/cat/hamster cute?" threads.
>> Anonymous
>>227399

one time my mother was out fishing and drinking a beer when suddenly she felt a horrible pain on the roof of her mouth. a wasp had crawled into her beer and had stung the roof of her mouth. my mother is allergic to wasps... not a fun day...
>> Anonymous
I have did about an hour of research on how to find Queen ants, this is the best page I've came up with:

http://www.antcam.com/info/faq/1.1.html


However, the way catch queens during Nuptial Flight is not explained very clearly in this page, I will elaborate:

When you see large numbers of winged ants flying about, (I see these all the time during spring/summer) try to catch as many as you can. Likely there will be both males and females within the batch. If they haven't mated already, they will, and the males would die after mating. Queens shed their wings after they mate, and will lay dormant for a while before it starts laying eggs. If you want more than 1 queen, you can keep the batch in separate containers.

I can't wait for the nuptial flight in my area, I always see them over the past few years but never paid any attention to them.
>> Anonymous
>>228004
It's actually fairly easy to catch one. You never paid attention but in summer there are quite often hords of "big ants" strolling around. Once I counted about 30 queens just on my way home (which isn't that long).

I wouldn't bother catching them while they have their wings. Just look at the pavement and you'll notice the wingless ones. Catch those.
>> Anonymous
>>228011
wow nice! thanks, i will keep an eye out.

When do they usually come out?
>> Anonymous
It's storytime with Op!

I just remembered that my job had a quasi-antfarm (though they've since moved on or died out).

Outside the front door there was a public ashtray. In other words a stone pillar with sand and gravel in it. Being that it's a food place with the idiocy of having no outside disposal stations, people would occasionally throw litter and drinks on top of it rather than just throwing them all over the parking lot.

Some ant built a colony in this thing, apparently, and they stayed there for awhile. I mean hey, soda and food gets left there all the time... Bit of a risky location, but they'd stay well fed.
>> Anonymous
>>227985
better than giant sea monsters?...
>> Anonymous
>>227978
Please do tell when you put up the myspace or anything :) I dont visit /an/ often, only for this thread.
>> Anonymous
>>227962
I've never had something like this happen to me, but a few years back my younger brother left a soda out overnight then took a drink of it in the morning. Turns out overnight it had been filled with beetles. In southern California, there are these beetles that come out at a certain time of year to mate.

Long story short, he got a mouthful of half drowned beetles. To his credit, he didn't spit them out all over the carpet, he ran to the sink first.
>> Anonymous
bump for Ant Queen
>> Anonymous
bump for awesome.
>> Anonymous
Still with five workers. I'm surprised we haven't got more by now, but maybe she took a break from laying at some point and the next is taking awhile because of that.

Been rather busy lately but hopefully I'll have something interesting to add soon. :P
>> Anonymous
>>229147
you think maybe if you moved her to a more natural or bigger environment she'd be more productive?

Also dude, get a blog, takes like 2 minutes, and you get free publicity, which is like free gold in WoW
>> Anonymous
>>227594
Worker bees can make new queens if the need arises. Ants can't do the same?
>> Anonymous
>>229239
No. "Rarely" new queens are readopted after copulation in polygynous species (even more rarely from a different nest). However monogynous species don't do this.
Also, only the queen can produce queens so if she isn't around no new queen can miraculously appear.
I think I get what you mean because bee larvae are fed a different type of nectar in order to get queens and drones. Ant workers don't have that possibility because the queen deposits those certain necessary proteins.
Also, in a few species the workers can produce offspring but only drones because they can't fertilize the eggs.
>> Anonymous
It may just be an Argentine thing. I've never seen ants do this...

These workers all seem to have this little jig they do in which they twitch their bodies while taking steps. They'll randomly do it for about a second and then another might copy it.
>> Anonymous
>>227399
Replace water with soda, and spider with earwig and I have the same thing happen to me.
>> Anonymous
>>229403
It's called communication.
>> Anonymous
>>229148
I agree, get something! Even if its a fucking livejournal lol.
>> Anonymous
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>>22156103/10/08(Mon)14:25
>> Anonymous
>>229686
Yeah, I started it on the 10th, what of it? XD
>> Anonymous
>>229773

So don't let it die. :(
>> Anonymous
>>230055

o_O Er, she'll be fine methinks.
>> Anonymous
>>230131
I think Anon meant the thread, which he may have been bumping so it isn't lost. Or he meant what you were thinking, I'm not sure.
>> Anonymous
>>230143
I thought about it afterward and you're probably right.
>> Anonymous
>>230145

I was definitely referring to the thread, yes.
>> Anonymous
buuump
>> Anonymous
bump since because ants
>> Anonymous
Fucking win thread. I love you OP. Best thread I've ever seen on 4chan.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Bump for awesome ants.
>> Wolfshadow
Freakin' awesome, OP!! Keep posting!! :3
>> Anonymous
/bump for ants

Thinking about starting a colony of my own, very interesting read!
>> Anonymous
OP, seriously get something, shit is cash
>> Anonymous
damn OP, you are lucky. when i was young i caught a carpenter ant princess but she curled up and died about 1-2 months later. I figured I did something wrong, but she was on dirt, and never did anything.
>> Anonymous
This thread reminds me of the old days of /n/. Don't let it die. :(
>> Anonymous
>>221955
>water moat to keep them in

LOL TEN BUCKS SAYS YOU GOT THAT S. AMERICAN SPECIES THAT CROSSES RIVERS XD
>> Anonymous
once i almost swallowed a living hornet\wasp with my soda :(
didnt sting me
>> Anonymous
>>230677
Oh god I had to read a story about that guy who burned down his entire farm and nearly died destroying a fucking horde of those things.
Awesome story.
>> Anonymous
op i am curious about this test tube. i have raised several colonies in my time but never from the queen up. i bought the queen and a bunch of workers online...

what do you use to seal the holes that you drilled? and what did you feed her other than honey?
>> Anonymous
i fuckin love ants
>> Anonymous
Interesting... OP, hurry up making some sort of blog so we can stay updated after this thread meets its inevitable demise.
>> Anonymous
I can't help but think about the Alien Queen from Aliens series when I read the OP.
>> Anonymous
>>230773
Theres also an old movie ,black and white I believe, that stars Charlton Heston in it about that very story.
>> Anonymous
>>230794
Test tube itself is actually a plastic thing my father happened to give me a bunch of in the past. It's regrettably short, so I had to put holes in it to avoid changing the water every two months.

Heated up a sewing needle to start the hole and used the syringe itself to drill it out the rest of the way.

Two holes are vital as it gives the air somewhere to go. I used to try syringe-filling it directly without holes and it would flood immediately into her chamber due to air pressure.

However this new approach also gave me some troubles -- the holes meant there was nothing really holding the water in and it would flood into her chamber immediately. I had to stop it up and use the syringe to drain the invading water.

I just had some "artist's eraser" sitting around. I was concerned to use this at the time but I needed something I knew would seal it and be easy to remove... and it's supposed to be non-toxic.

Anyway, I used it out of desperation, and it worked, so I'm not complaining. Made the whole thing really easy.

Adding new water means holding her chamber upward to avoid it flooding in while the holes are uncovered.
>> Anonymous
bump!
>> Anonymous
3/10? Amazing, this MUST be a world record! Here's to another bump!
>> Anonymous
did they have SEX?
>> Anonymous
>>221955
Ants can swim. You're fucked.
>> Anonymous
>>231837
Eh, that was a long while back and I abandoned that particular enclosure when that spider dropped in and almost ruined things.
>> Anonymous
/an/ - Ants (You know it's true)
>> Anonymous
>>222810
You do realize that bumblebees live underground, right?
>> Anonymous
>>226462
Insect inflation fetish maybe?

I can't find any ants, I'll go get a queen hornet instead. It'll be the best ever.
>> Anonymous
>>222455

Rape spider has failed to rape your ant.
>> Anonymous
bump

Because if this thread dies I will be sad forever.
>> Anonymous
>>232044
Egads, raising hornets? That sounds a bit masochistic to me. lol
>> Anonymous
>>232334
You're just a pussy, they won't sting you unless yAARAJGEGLEKN BB,<<FF:j.
>> sage
>>232379
unless what?
>> Anonymous
It is time. This thread must be archived.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>232385
Unless yAASDFJJLvfas#@TDADSFj
>> Anonymous
OP MAKE A BLOG. FUCK.
>> Anonymous
bump
>> Anonymous
make a blog!
>> Anonymous
That's weird, my (covered in bees) "Unless @)#@#G*)E" post got deleted.
>> Anonymous
In 4 days, this thread will be a month old.
>> Anonymous
I'm finally with a day off where I can work on something.
I'm in the process of setting up a MySpace page/blog/gallery/humor/etc for the little colony.
Should be ready to post it by tonight.
>> Anonymous
>>228001

That's the worst thing I've ever heard
>> Anonymous
>>233478
A similar thing happened to my sister, she was only 5-7 years old though and eating an apple. On of many trips to the emergency room in our family.
>> Anonymous
My ex's mother got stung by a bee for the first time while she was gardening. Turns out she's highly allergic.

Her husband came home to find her almost unconscious in bed, unable to get up or talk much, but he got out of her that she'd been stung by a bee. He was able to get her to down a Benedryl and it brought her around enough to get her to the hospital.

He was informed that the Benedryl had bought her enough time to receive proper treatment, and had he not done so she would've died before he got her there.

Ironically (mostly sparked by constant joke gifts from family), she started collecting bee-themed objects after that.
>> Anonymous
In before My Girl.
>> Anonymous
>>233534
I don't need to hear about your barbaric customs!
>> Anonymous
>>233478

yeah that was a very bad day...
>> Anonymous
Alrighty. For now here's the address.

http://www.myspace.com/sunglade

A bit simple for now, but there's more to come when I DON'T have to wake up for work in 4 hours. :P
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>221561
you had a myspace for your wow character?..jesus wept
>> Anonymous
>>233674
What I originally started that account for was to create a layout for a friend's band without interfering with my own page.

Later, rather than bog down my account with WoW screenshots (which none of my friends played anyway, so I figured it wouldn't be interesting to them), I just threw things onto that account.

That lasted all of about a day and then I never used it again.
>> FILO !MEyHD7hvlU
This thread is made of win, and I am wondering how I haven't come across it before.
>> Anonymous
Heh, one more day and it's a month.

Sure got quiet on here...
>> Anonymous
>>233672
FINALLY!
>> Anonymous
OP we need more pictures of them. Have you built a better place for them yet?
>> Anonymous
Getting harder to see them all with the big queen in the way, but yesterday's suspicions are confirmed -- there's a 6th worker in there. And now I've got a few minutes before work. I'll do some more things to the page/here tonight.
>> Anonymous
Happy 1 month anniversary, Mr. Thread!
>> Anonymous
If you're feeling exceptionaly mean, drop ants from another colony in there
>> Anonymous
spiderwater guy here.
congrats on the monthlong thread. I'm still totally enthralled and just about to head over to your colony's myspace to check out the progress.
>> Anonymous
Hey, it appears we're getting a crapload of carpenter ants in our house again this summer. Want me to collect them all and mail them to you? Ants are cute, but when you wake up brushing 5 off of you every morning, they tend to make you a bit squeamish toward them.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I doubt you could find it, but a carpenter ant queen would be awesome. But I doubt that's really possible (or legal to mail).

Oh, I took a pic of the six.
>> Anonymous
Old thread is old. We going for a record here?
>> Anonymous
excellent thread

bump
>> Sage Ghost of Sagemas Past
Thread was gay even a month a go.
>> Anonymous
>>234572

yea, cause "gay threads" last a month all the time, pure genius there
>> Anonymous
woot. Can't wait for them to start exploring
>> Anonymous
bump
>> Anonymous
OP is an attention whore
>> sage sage
sage goes in every field
>> Anonymous
>>235162
I care not, OP is good to fuck at the moment.
>> Anonymous
OP = God's God
>> Anonymous
Best thread on 4chan
>> Anonymous
Best 4chan thread ever
>> Anonymous
>>221561
This needs to be archived simply because it has lasted a month now...
>> Anonymous
Epic thread.
>> Anonymous
flawless win
>> Anonymous
3/10/2008

ROLL CALLLLLL
>> Anonymous
OP, have you tried giving them little bits of hardboiled egg whites? I've heard that that's a good source of protein for ants.

I had an ant farm for a few months, but eventually they all died (no queen). I tried to find one, but after digging about three feet down with no luck, I gave up. I feel a little guilty that I might have collapsed all the tunnels to the surface, but I guess they could probably dig their way out. I also learned that shorts and sandals are not proper attire for such activities, and that while harvester ants have huge jaws, it's the stings that stay with you. The little purple bumps lasted almost as long as the ants did.
>> Anonymous
Those ants do look a lot like Argentines. You should see if they are known to live in or near your area. One thing that seems to be a diagnostic characteristic is the presence of a single node on the petiole (the spike on the waist as seen on ant "A" here: http://www.entomology.ucr.edu/ebeling/figures/fig170.jpg). I can't see if it's there or not in your pictures, but maybe you can get a better look.
>> Anonymous
bump cant let it die
>> Anonymous
Bump.