# Ant keeping? That's what I do.



## Totally_Tortoise (Feb 26, 2018)

Yup, I like ants and think they're awesome. I have a professional formicarium made from acrylic. I had a colony of Solenopsis Xyloni (the local fire ant in California) however the colony died for an unknown cause, BUT IT'S ANTING SEASON NOW THAT SPRING IS COMING!!! So I can now find a new queen out for her journey to keep. So many different species have nuptial flights in spring than any other season (nuptial flight is when the queens and drones (male ants) fly out and breed). They mostly have their flights at night so I normally go out in the dark with a light or during dusk. Does anyone else keep ants? I've spent about $300 dollars on ant supplies because I think they're so cool! I don't have a job so 300 is a lot for me. I may be able to catch some fire ant queens or but that would have to be late spring or all through summer. But I can catch many of the formicas and carpenter ants and some solenopsis.


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## Team Gomberg (Feb 26, 2018)

I would love to see photos of what you have! 

I keep a variety of bugs. But no ants.


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## wellington (Feb 26, 2018)

I would love to see pics too. I bought my son one of those ant farms when he was young. We didn't have good luck with them lasting long, but it was fun and interesting to watch them while we did have them.


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## Totally_Tortoise (Feb 26, 2018)

wellington said:


> I would love to see pics too. I bought my son one of those ant farms when he was young. We didn't have good luck with them lasting long, but it was fun and interesting to watch them while we did have them.


Herea the pics, i need a new queen


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## wellington (Feb 26, 2018)

Wow quite the home


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## Totally_Tortoise (Feb 26, 2018)

wellington said:


> Wow quite the home


I start off the queen in a test tube withe water reservoir and cotton and when she has about 20 workers then i put her in the formicarium. If her eggs become drones (male ants) then that means she is infertile.


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## wellington (Feb 26, 2018)

Interesting. Be sure to post pics when you have the queen and other ants.


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## Totally_Tortoise (Feb 26, 2018)

wellington said:


> Interesting. Be sure to post pics when you have the queen and other ants.


I will


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## mrnewberry (May 15, 2018)

That is pretty cool. makes me want to keep an eye out for a queen.


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## Kapidolo Farms (May 15, 2018)

That is very interesting. Some of the most game changing ecological theories and social science theories have come from the study of ants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._O._Wilson

Have you considered raising carpenter ants for horned lizard keepers? I hope that doesn't sound to carnivorous?


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## Totally_Tortoise (May 15, 2018)

Will said:


> That is very interesting. Some of the most game changing ecological theories and social science theories have come from the study of ants.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._O._Wilson
> 
> Have you considered raising carpenter ants for horned lizard keepers? I hope that doesn't sound to carnivorous?


I've considered raising a carpenter colony and if i could make money for selling carpenter ants for horned lizards i would.


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## ZEROPILOT (May 15, 2018)

Cool
I had an ant farm when I was a kid.
Are Fire ants interesting to watch?
I've only dealt with them as they were attempting to eat me and my pets.
Can you order them online I wonder?
As I recall, it was a mail order thing back then.


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## CarolM (May 18, 2018)

Totally_Tortoise said:


> I've considered raising a carpenter colony and if i could make money for selling carpenter ants for horned lizards i would.


Did you have any luck finding the Queen? I would love to see your set-up now (if you have the ants) as The first picture didn't make any sense to me. (Can you tell that I am not familiar with ant keeping. ) So am just wondering what it looks like with the ants in it.


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## Totally_Tortoise (May 24, 2018)

ZEROPILOT said:


> Cool
> I had an ant farm when I was a kid.
> Are Fire ants interesting to watch?
> I've only dealt with them as they were attempting to eat me and my pets.
> ...


you can order ants online, however if you order a queen then it cant be more than a few miles away. because ants can destroy an ecosystem they are not native to


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