NEW QUEEN! real one this time!!

[dazzi41]

Hi all
some of you might remember me from last time when I thought I had a queen which I never and then I had few worker ants which obviously passed away (sorry for spelling)

anyway I am working on the new plaza hotel in Manchester and when I came out of the building we where being swarmed by flying ants.

I was like a little kid in a play ground lol I found anything I could to get one and as there was thousands on the ground, both winged and not winged I got myself a wingless ones.

now I have this in a small tube in my sand tub (huge glass jar)

I didn't have cotton wool at the time so I used my razor to cut some of the flannel off and make it fluffy and so I still have that in with the queen.

I think the queen has stayed in that and I don't no if its ok?

is the queen supposed to go in the sand or will it be ok in the small tub with damp flannel.

[Jenny]

Hi Dazzi,

your sand should be sand castle damp, so that she can dig in and start her nest without the sand collaspsing around her. You do not need anything fluffy in with her, as she will get herself caught up in it and injure herself and then you will have to do a rescue job .

Just keep the humidity up in the warmer weather/room by lightly spraying the side of the jar. If it is too enclosed then you will have condensation anyway, and therfore no need for extra moisture.

I am glad you went for the wingless ones as this means she should be fertile!

[dazzi41]

hi and thanks for the reply.

I like your forum and I have read loads of your posts. I used you to show my girlfriend that grown ups do like keeping ants and I said it was like keeping fish lol

I have the jar with the lid on, but when I get my own house next year, I won't be as bothered about having the lid on or off.

Is the jar ok if the sides get lots of condensed water on it because I thought it was bad for them? I just thought they couldn't breath or somat.

If I find any eggs from other nests I might use them to boost it. Just read another post with they sayin somat like that cos I just want to make sure the queen don't die off.

so ye, will it be ok with condensed water in it? and the soil should be good as the other ants made tunnels all over.

[Jenny]

You can make tiny pin pricks with a needle in the lid if you can, this will help air flow and the ants won't be able to get out. A lot of condensation is bad as it encourages mold, you can of course help by unscrewing the jar periodically and let some air in, but the tiny air holes do help.

[dazzi41]

OK I will try to put holes in it.

I forgot to say I like a few others shamefully tried antworks gel farm with a few of them worker ants.

they got away through the holes in the top lol. I thought they were supposed to be air holes, not escape routes?

And will the lid be OK on for a week, as I'm back at Manchester for a week, well until Friday.

[Jenny]

That's why the holes need to be small enough Place the jar in the dark or cover it over, this will help to settle the queen down and she might have dug in by the time you get home

By the way, you have not said which species you think it is?

[dazzi41]

I'm still a newbie at this and can hardly tell the difference from 1 ant to another. but it's big, black with 3 seperate parts to its body

head - body - big back side


right I went and put holes in the lid with a pin and I took the fluffy thing out so now it should leave the tube and go into the sand.

[tuck]

all insects have a head, thorax, and abdomen!

[Jaikaiman]

;D

Big Back Side

I like it.

The ants flew today aswell Yay