Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2012 21:32:02 GMT 1
hi.
I life in an area where there are large amounts of wood ants which i belie are Formica Rufa they live in large pine forest near my house. so i did some research on them and found out there nuptial flights accrue in mid June.
what I wanted to know is if anyone had tried to keep this genus of ant before and had success?
also I walk the dog today and found a nest probably a metre in diameter, ill get some samples and picture to show you guys.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2012 21:37:46 GMT 1
Formica rufa are protected i believe and are very difficuilt to keep in a home set up due to their nest building habits and colony size.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2012 12:39:50 GMT 1
A while ago another memberasked the same question.. And the answeres were all "No" for various reasons, it is not recomemnded to keep Formica Rufa.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2012 13:11:08 GMT 1
In the case of rufa group Formica, there's probably no harm in taking a newly mated queen you happen to find somewhere. I believe the protection laws mostly apply to tampering with their nests. Not long ago they were being torn to pieces and the brood sold as fish food.
Regardless, Formica rufa and closely related species are unsuitable to keep because they are both very excitable and very enthusiastic to use formic acid. Apparently, the whole colony can be gassed to death in a formicarium.
Just make sure these aren't Formica sanguinea, which would probably turn out to be great ants to keep. If you take a good picture of a worker's head, we could tell you what you have.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2012 13:15:48 GMT 1
Isn't Formica ruffa a social parasitic species
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2012 13:18:01 GMT 1
Yes, I believe so.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2012 13:21:12 GMT 1
Yes, but Formica are very easy social parasites to deal with; none of that worker introduction nonsense, just give her Formica pupae.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2012 13:22:52 GMT 1
cool I think I have Formica sp. living in my area!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2012 21:01:38 GMT 1
Ok cheers guys, its raining here atm but when it dries up ill get some pictures
|
|