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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2011 19:33:50 GMT 1
I think I might be able to convince my parents to let me have a colony of Camponotus ligniperda, but only if they don't need their own heating. Our house is quite cold in the winter. Do they need it in the UK?
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Post by Myrm on Feb 9, 2011 19:34:45 GMT 1
Hi Billy Bin Lid
They should be fine in your house, you just may find them vary inactive in the winter months even if they do not hibernate. Do you plan on keeping them in your bin lid room?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2011 19:40:02 GMT 1
Thanks!
Yes, I have a spare tank I'm not using for anything at the moment.
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Post by Myrm on Feb 9, 2011 19:57:17 GMT 1
Thanks! Yes, I have a spare tank I'm not using for anything at the moment. A spare tank sounds ideal, Billy
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2011 20:20:04 GMT 1
Now dad won't let me have them because they nest in wood, and could cause damage to the house. I told him that a queen that big would have a hard time climbing glass, let alone squeezing past a lid, and he said he'd think about it.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2011 20:37:58 GMT 1
On antstore it says they nest under wood, with most of the nest below ground. is this true?
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Post by Myrm on Feb 9, 2011 21:03:05 GMT 1
On antstore it says they nest under wood, with most of the nest below ground. is this true? On the whole, yes.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2011 23:46:19 GMT 1
So they won't hurt our house if they get out?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2011 21:54:15 GMT 1
I would think that they would nest between the dry wall and support joists. This would only be temporary unless humidity was proper and there was enough food. Then they would move out to a better location outside the house. They could cause serious structural damage though if they found the right conditions inside your house for nesting.
I have watched several YouTube videos of mature Carpenter colonies nesting under windows. The nest was a satellite nest but there was a lot of repair work that needed to be done due to the damage the tunneling created.
Flavus
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2011 22:21:18 GMT 1
So they won't hurt our house if they get out? Billy, In my personal opinion, keeping ants that could damage your home and cost hundreds of euros(?) to repair just isn't worth it, especially if you have other ant options. Now, having said that, it is fine if you are able to maintain a escape proof formicarium.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2011 22:28:32 GMT 1
I kept the largest Carpenter ant in my area for about year. Camponotus pennsylvanicus which has giants for queens. The colony was in an escape-proof rubber maid. They did very well and currently reside in a stump by my ditch. These ants can obviously be kept but caution must be taken and their enclosures should be throughly tested before use.
Flavus
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2011 22:33:11 GMT 1
I to have Camponotus Penn, or Camponotus Modoc, which are essentially the same species. They are very large.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2011 23:22:46 GMT 1
Thanks for your help, everyone. My enclosure would be utterly escape proof, but Dad's answer is still no. I would have a fitting lid and oil on the walls of the tank! I doubt a queen that size could climb glass, anyway, so they couldn't completely move out.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2011 23:31:10 GMT 1
You would be very surprised at how well these large ants can climb. If you did not have the oil on the glass then you would have ants crawling all over it.
To tell you the truth Billy it is probably for the best. I am not sure what you have kept in the past but dealing with a mature carpentor ant colony is tedious work. The amount of food and space these gals take up is incredible. They also require a certain humidity level and certain species require heating.
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