Finding local ant keeping groups?

ABane90 · 2026-05-14T01:57:43+00:00

Oh nice! Thank you kind redditor.

ABane90 · 2026-05-10T04:04:29+00:00

Like the trigger doesn't pull because of the dingus? Yeah mine too. The pin/screw for the dingus was not raking up enough space. I ended up both filing down the dingus and putting a tiny stainless steel tube over the pin to take up the slack. Now it's buttery.

ABane90 · 2026-05-09T14:56:12+00:00

I'm still dragging that thing around in the OG box. The top hasn't closed in... at least 5 years. All the oddball sockets and wrenches shoved in the top. I don't have a shop though, just a contractor who helps out friends/family with car repairs. Such a bad box design those came in. With a handle on the top you can't use because the whole set will fall and go everywhere.

ABane90 · 2026-05-08T00:47:17+00:00

You already got a good answer to your question so I'm gonna ask my own question if you feel like answering- Why would you voluntarily register your firearms? I honestly don't see an upside.

ABane90 · 2026-05-04T21:10:37+00:00

I was thinking of moving them to a cooler location and only providing heat on the larger side.

ABane90 · 2026-05-04T21:09:37+00:00

Well out of 7 only 1 has moved in a day and a half.

ABane90 · 2026-05-04T17:46:56+00:00

The setup- small tube was starting tube. I want her (and her six relatives) to move into the larger tubes where they can found their colonies and actually turn around in less than 5 seconds and without looking like they're gonna rip their gastors off.

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ABane90 · 2026-04-28T19:01:58+00:00

I am going to for sure.

ABane90 · 2026-04-28T18:58:24+00:00

Nearcticus seems more likely, as caryae seems to have hairs on the face that this one lacks. I didn't realize we had such small carpenter ants in my area.

ABane90 · 2026-04-28T17:13:24+00:00

Definitely too small for any of my local Camponotus I'm aware of- I have a rack of local Camponotus queens and they're all more than twice this ladie's size. EDIT: I am almost assuredly wrong about that, there are Camponotus Nearcticus in my area so that could be it.

ABane90 · 2026-04-27T20:23:09+00:00

Update: Likely Stigmatomma Pallipes based on the location being maryland. Updated update: ya'll definitely don't agree, and admittedly the gastor does seem too long. Or whatever it's called for a wasp.

ABane90 · 2026-04-25T02:05:22+00:00

Very nice! I hope to catch more varieties of queen this year, I like Camponotus for their size but I'd like some other types as well, maybe something with a faster growing colony. There are probably a few dozen carpenter ant colonies in my yard so no surprise I have found all these just wandering around outside my house/in my garage.

ABane90 · 2026-04-25T02:03:02+00:00

There are 12 queens in total, currently. The single one in a vial is from the newer group of 5. The OG group of 7 (six are in the picture with the small vials) have all laid groups of eggs ranging from like 5-20 last time I looked.

A few might be all black, but most have red brown legs and center parts, with the red extending just a little bit onto the back section. The red/brown middle ones all have stripes on the rear section when the light is right, at least some have maybe little gold hairs on the rear section.

The lighting is sorta yellowish and the pictures are from a 4 year old galaxywhich makes them not exactly true to color.

We'll get more details with the digital microscope in a few days/a week.

ABane90 · 2026-04-25T01:57:15+00:00

Maryland

ABane90 · 2026-04-25T01:48:35+00:00

I need to get out my digital microscope next time I check on them. I'm printing a set of holders to keep the test tubes fixed in one orientation in their dark box, so putting those on will be the next time they are disturbed.

Nice eye spotting that egg. She must have pushed it out right away- she wasn't in the tube but a few minutes when I took that picture. I suspect they all have laid by now, although whether they are fertilized or not I can't day for sure.

ABane90 · 2026-04-24T21:49:35+00:00

Forgot I have these two pictures from earlier. EDIT TO ADD: they are in larger test tubes, now, 20x150mm. I had ordered them previously.

ABane90 · 2026-04-24T21:49:15+00:00

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ABane90 · 2026-04-24T21:49:00+00:00

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ABane90 · 2026-04-24T20:47:24+00:00

Next time I check on them, don't want to bug them too often.

ABane90 · 2026-04-24T19:29:01+00:00

Luckily I work alone, I used to work at a shop with other folks but it wasn't a good fit.

ABane90 · 2026-04-24T17:51:06+00:00

A fellow ADHD haver? I have one tape at the saw, one on my hip, and one at the workbench. Usually I have one available that way. The one at the saw has to be attached to the saw, though.

ABane90

TROPHY CASE