A picture is worth 1000 words:
Made from a test tube, cotton, and water, this simple setup is sufficient for most ant species.
- Fill a test tube about 1/2 full with water.
- Plunge cotton into the water until it is wet but not soggy.
- Seal the queen in with a dry cotton plug.
The genius of the test tube nest- aside from being cheap and easy- is the moisture gradient. Wet at one end, dry at the other. Most captive ant problems stem from either too much or too little moisture, and the test tube nest allows a queen ant to choose her optimal level.
This particular queen is a thief ant, Solenopsis molesta. I collected several of these in the evening after a drenching midsummer rain. As the first workers of this species are raised from the queen’s body reserves, the young colony will not require food until workers emerge.
Having an interest in such, I’d love a whole photo series on keeping captive ant colonies. 🙂
Are those the ladies from my going away party?
Indeed they are. I shall name this one “Jeffrey”, in your honor.
sweeeeet
What’s the life expectancy of a queen just starting a colony like that ? I’m sure it varies by species so we can just talk about the one above if you want. TIA
As you note, longevity depends on the species. If a queen makes it through to the emergence of the first workers, she’ll usually be good for anywhere from 3 years to 20 years. I’m not sure how long Solenopsis molesta queens live- I suspect it’s towards the shorter end of the spectrum.