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Post by happy on Apr 7, 2008 4:19:52 GMT
I bought Uncle Milton's Ant farm from Walmart. I put it all together, and it was really small so I just made my own and sent off for the Red Harvester Ants. Then I finally got them and they didn't come with a queen which I figured they wouldn't. but then I read the instruction guide and it said that one of the workers will become a queen randomly. I thought that was kinda odd is this true? :< ?
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Post by Jenny on Apr 7, 2008 4:25:03 GMT
As you live in the USA, and governed by the ant laws (No queens over State lines etc) if you managed to even find a company that will send you ants then they will only be workers. You need a mated queen from your own state, but don't mix them with the workers you already have, they will fight to the death! Workers will only live a few months and then will die off.  |
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Post by happy on Apr 7, 2008 4:29:57 GMT
Awww  Yeah I knew they would fight hmm.. yeah I figured some laws about that thanks tho. Cleared some stuff up for me! Yeah we have ants that look a lot like the ones I got in the mail. They are some type of red ant and are very very aggressive. :< |
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Post by Jenny on Apr 7, 2008 4:33:39 GMT
You are best to wait for the mating flights during your summer, or go hunting, looking under rocks etc...........
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Post by Wood~Ant on Apr 7, 2008 8:44:24 GMT
Hi Happy, As I said in my reply to your email to me, worker ants are basically females who have not developed the larger ovaries of a true queen ant. While they often lay eggs, these are completely infertile and only produce males, or are eaten before they even become larvae. For any worker ant to become a fully productive queen it would have to be able to mate with a male; and to be honest, although male ants do attempt to copulate with workers, a worker does not have the ability to store sperm like a proper queen (fully developed female). The genitalia of a worker ant are not designed for mating, and they don't possess a sperm retaining sac like fully sexually developed females have, so the chances of a worker ant ever becoming a fully functional queen are virtually nil  I think most other ant experts would agree with me on this, and I hope it helps you to understand the complexity of the caste system within ant society  |
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Post by happy on Apr 8, 2008 1:17:59 GMT
Thanks so much now I understand. Cleared the air on that one.
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