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Post by tomorrownight on Nov 23, 2009 17:46:26 GMT
What sort of time should we expect Formica rufa to fly?
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Post by Wood~Ant on Nov 23, 2009 18:40:38 GMT
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Post by tomorrownight on Nov 24, 2009 9:07:45 GMT
thats a great article thanks. Am I right in thinking thats the species you find in the upper highlands of Scotland in the forests there, they look the same and the same mounds etc.
also, how do they produce new queens in the nest? do they do it the normal way other ants do and when they are mated just bring them back into the colony instead of letting them fly off?
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Post by Wood~Ant on Nov 24, 2009 9:45:34 GMT
No to your first question. Formica rufa only ranges as far as Wales and into the midlands of England, although it has got as far North as the Lake District; but in that region it is very sparsely found. Wood ants that are found in upper Northern England and up into Scotland are Formica lugubris, while the highlands of Scotland is strongly colonized by another wood ant species, Formica aquilonia. Formica exsecta is a small wood ant specie that may be found in Scotland, but this makes rather small nest mounds compared to the more impressive hills of F. aquilonia or F. lugubris; both of which look very much like their Southern F. rufa cousins Yes to your 2nd question. Newly mated queens are collected by workers and taken back into the parent nest; but they still fly to mate or mate outside the nest high up on plants and grasses.
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Post by tomorrownight on Nov 24, 2009 10:55:32 GMT
ah wow, thats cool!
so Formica aquilonia would essentially be the same as Rufa (in keeping, behaviour, diet, temperature etc.)?
am I right in thinking they are more black, do they still produce sataliette mounds?
is it possible to keep these domesticated because surely they need so much leaf matter?
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Post by Zarbi on Nov 24, 2009 13:55:08 GMT
Many of us have tried keeping wood ants in captivity, and failed miserably, as they don't do well without plenty of fresh air. They end up getting infested with mites and you just have to let them go, that's if they don't all escape first as they're fast and climb glass in seconds.
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Post by tomorrownight on Nov 24, 2009 13:59:33 GMT
hmm, thats intersting, I've a few emails online of mite infestations in ants, where do they come from?
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Post by Wood~Ant on Nov 24, 2009 20:00:29 GMT
Mites live in the soil and leaf litter. They cause little or no harm in wild nests due to good air circulation, but in an enclosed habitat like a tank where ventilation is poor, mites breed rapidly and soon become a nuisance as they cover ants spiracles making it hard for them to breathe. Mites cling onto the hairs which cover ants bodies and restrict, or totally stop them from moving and performing naturally, which can end in death if allowed to continue
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Quah
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Post by Quah on Nov 25, 2009 2:03:10 GMT
Mites are a common infestation here too. I avoided the problem by not using soil or other "natural" material in my nest. If I do use soil I usually disinfect it first.
Sometimes mites are found on flies and other insects that may be food for ants. It is a good idea to check any live food for mites before using them.
On individual ants it is not too difficult to remove mites but if a whole colony is infected, I would usually clean off the gyne and a few workers and destroy the rest of the nest together with the mites.
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Post by tomorrownight on Jan 9, 2010 21:39:49 GMT
how on earth do you clean an ant?
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