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AUTHORS		FAQ NAVIGATION
Who e-mail Handle Web site Phillip Pi y Ant The Ant Farm Randy Rencsok y Mr. Ant AntCam Andre Schmidt y Jinei Myrmecology James Trager y Dr. Ant		Prev Top Next Chapter Chapter Page Page

1.1 Where can I get queen ants?

There are a few possibilities:

a. You can dig her nest up and find her. This is a tedious and
   difficult method and may not always be successful. The queen
   is very difficult to get. --Ant

   I have done this numerous times. For Formicas (larger small
   mound building species) I use:

   1. Spade shovel
   2. 2 five gallon buckets
   3. 2 covers for buckets
   4. Metal spoon.
   5. Newspaper (a section will do)
   6. Jars/bucket with 1-2" inside near rim treated with oil

   The process I use is to locate less developed nests (smaller).
   Then I carry shovel, buckets, and covers to site of nest
   during mid to late day (when sun has warmed upper soil).

   Next, I cut a circle around colony usually about size of
   bucket or smaller if possible. Think of this like cutting a 6"
   deep hole of sod; but don't pull up the section until you have
   made your circular cut. When your ready lift the whole
   section out of ground -- intact if possible -- put in first
   bucket. Then while the nest is disturbed, begin to quickly dig
   the rest of the soil following chambers and tunnels until few 
   ants are found or bucket(s) are full. As buckets get full, 
   place covers on them.

   Now, take the bucket(s) home and begin to manually sort (using
   spoon, newspapers for the refuse soil and jars/bucket to put
   the workers, pupae, larvae, eggs in while looking for the
   queen(s). Once the queen is obtained, then one can decide
   whether to keep sorting to obtain more workers or eggs, larvae
   pupae, etc. I have found eggs are very difficult to spot in
   many species unless they are still in wads of multiple eggs.

   Under large rocks mid-day or there about: Similar process as
   above, but usually one doesn't need to get as much soil and    
   one may see immediately the queen. I've turned large blocks
   many times and seen huge colonies -- with a queen scrambling
   for cover. --Mr. Ant

b. Rotting boards are good candidates. In West Virginia this
   summer (1999), I found three species all with queens under a
   rotting dog house we had to move.

   Carpenter ant queens, at least in Michigan, can relatively
   easily be found in late fall or early spring (in cool
   temperatures) by locating a large tree stand with a fair
   amount of downed and rotting logs. By carefully peeling off
   the bark one should easily be able to find a carpenter queen
   with her first brood (in some stage) in a egg shaped chamber
   between bark and wood of tree. Being prepared with collection
   jars (large mouthed mason work great) and sharp long knife.
   One places a small section of bark over the 1.5" oval chamber
   and cuts into the tree to extract completely the 1.5" oval
   chamber and surrounding wood. --Mr. Ant

c. Wait for the nuptial flights during the spring and summer
   seasons. The new queen ants usually fly away after a rain
   storm during a warm temperature. It depends where you are, and
   the development of the colony. Most species of ants will mate
   in late spring and summer (June through August). --Ant and 
   Angelo Scott

   Nuptial flights are the best time to get queens. Many times I
   seem to miss them for various reasons. The best reason to get
   nuptial queens is they are MUCH less sensitive to light than
   full blown native colonies (which I have observed take some
   time to acclimatize to light). Also, you get to see the full
   development cycle. It is important make sure to feed your
   queen before she enters the chamber as this will give her a
   much larger first brood than otherwise would have occurred.
   She will greedily gorge herself and then you can finally put
   her in your terrarium. --Mr. Ant

d. Finding colonies with queens is best done during the first
   really warm weather of spring. At this time, queens come near
   the surface to warm up (just as they later retreat into the
   depths to keep cool once hot weather fully sets in). Placing
   covering objects such as flat bricks, stones, or old boards 
   over known nest sites will help induce the ants to come 
   gather under these in a few days or a week, making it easier
   to capture a whole colony. When you find the queen, capture 
   her FIRST in a small container, and THEN go about scooping up
   the rest of the colony. Queens are very shy, and hide quickly
   at the first disturbance of the colony. --Dr. Ant