Solenopsis invicta queens

[Persnickety Parson's]

How can my untrained eyes tell if it's a queen??

Look for wing scars, and then familiarize yourself with the queens of the species you are looking for.

Eventually telling queens apart will be second nature.

Also queens generally move with purpose, while worker ants generally wander more.

AntsCanada has great supplies for serious attempts at ant keeping, they are pricey, but their quality is top notch.

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Id figure I would update this thread, while I no longer keep fire ants, being illegal to move them and queens across state lines, I do have some MN ant species. Two camponotus pennsylvanicus. And an unidentified species that I'm guessing is tetramorium, given she was found in an urban area.

Start:

Now:

The recently caught unknown ant, she looks like a mini solenopsis queen

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Well here's some pics of sleeping ants. They get to spend another month in the fridge before I wake them up for spring.

They look healthy so far. It will be nice to get them out of my fridge after 7 to 8 months lol

 

[Carloscruz]

Well here's some pics of sleeping ants. They get to spend another month in the fridge before I wake them up for spring.

View attachment 320335
They look healthy so far. It will be nice to get them out of my fridge after 7 to 8 months lol

I want to get a colony so bad I have been watching ants Canada for a long time now and they look so cool.

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Well it's not looking promising, the workers have woken up, the queen has not, I know they sometimes take longer but it's been two days so far, I will give her a week at room temperature before writing her off, it happens, not all ants survive over wintering. Or else we'd be seriously overrun.

 

[MissSkittles]

No idea what type of ant they are, but looks like a thriving colony beneath the hibiscus on my patio. Looks like I won’t be trying to bring the hibiscus back to life...or going anywhere near it again. They now own that corner of the patio. @Persnickety Parson's Come and get the ants…free sad looking hibiscus too!

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

No idea what type of ant they are, but looks like a thriving colony beneath the hibiscus on my patio. Looks like I won’t be trying to bring the hibiscus back to life...or going anywhere near it again. They now own that corner of the patio. @Persnickety Parson's Come and get the ants…free sad looking hibiscus too!
View attachment 320812View attachment 320813

They look pretty, and don't look like fire ants either. Good idea leaving them intact, established and colonies are good at suppressing fire ant populations

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Well it's taken her several days to wake up, but she survived over wintering.

They are currently eating their first honey meal in months, waiting to see when this year's babies start being produced.