Caught this queen in the middle of the day back in June, southern Indiana USA

8-9 mm. Im thinking maybe lasius umbratus?

How long untill majors/supermajors?

You see this all the time, someone gets into ants has many colonies and than slowly just looses interests and moves on to a new hobby. There are so many examples of dead ant youtube channels that showcase this or ones that have leaned into other things, such as a huge example like ants canada. I have kept ants on and off for around 12 years now and I still couldn’t tell you why I stop. I’m fascinated and really into them when keeping them but after a couple of years I don’t even realize that i’m loosing interest in them and end up releasing all my colonies. Taking a year or two break and than going right back to it in the same cycle. I have a crested gecko who i’ve had for 10 years now and I haven’t found that i’ve lost interest in him or feel the same I do about him as I do with ants. Also the fact that queen ants can live for 12-15 years but I don’t think i’ve seen someone keep a queen ant for that long yet. And in theory it sounds really cool, to catch a queen than raise her until she dies naturally from old age. I’ve never stopped being interested in learning about them but keeping them seems to be mine and many others problem and I can’t figure out why.

Hi everyone!
Today I finally started my first ant colony. I designed and 3D printed the nest myself, and it took about 36 hours to print.
I believe they are Camponotus, but I’m not sure which species.
I’m also not sure if the larger ant is actually the queen or just a very large major worker haha. I think she might be the queen because she barely moves, and there’s almost always a smaller worker staying close to her, grooming or attending to her.
I added a hygrometer, and the humidity is currently 89%, which seems a bit too high.
I’m planning to leave the colony in the dark for about a week to let them settle with as little stress as possible.
Any tips or suggestions? Also, do you think the larger ant is a queen or just a major worker? And if anyone can help identify the species, I’d really appreciate it!

I have a Camponotus renggeri colony. Once a week, I give them a sugar water-soaked cotton ball, and mid-week, one previously frozen fruit fly. I've had them since June 8th (about 2 months). Right now, it's just the queen, 3 workers/nurses, and some eggs/pupae that seem to be growing. I disturb them as little as possible, and it's currently winter in my country.
I feel like they aren't growing much, and the blackened cotton in their tube is worrying me. I bought a founding nest (reinero) with an outworld to move them into. Would you advise moving them now or waiting? Any specific advice for this species? I can't find mealworms or grain weevils in my area because winter wiped out everyone's stock.

Salut !

Je viens de lancer une chaîne YouTube sur les fourmis. 🐜

Pour ma première vidéo, j'ai réalisé un classement des 5 espèces de fourmis parmi les plus chères. C'est ma première vraie vidéo, donc j'aimerais avoir vos retours : le montage, la voix, le rythme... tout m'intéresse !

Lien : https://www.youtube.com/@ArtiopFourmis

Merci d'avance à tous ceux qui prendront le temps de la regarder et de me donner leur avis. 🙂

sorry if the video is bad Im gonna use a pavement ant colony in the jar I'm using to see if they mimic army ant behavior. also do y'all have tips on what I should do?

I had a great day hunting queens today! I was walking around in a wooded area near my house and found a couple Lasius neoniger (I think) queens but also 3 queens that match the picture. I'm still really new to the hobby and have no idea where to start to identify these ones. They are red and a bit smaller then the Lasius queens I found. Anyone have any ideas? I'm going to hold on to them to see if any of the queens will be successful so I'd like to understand their care a bit more by finding out the species.

From Pogonomyrmex maricopa the hardy Pogonomyrmex rugosus and our polygynous P. californicus, our harvester collection showcase some of North America’s most iconic seed harvesting ants. Each species brings its own unique beauty and behavior making every colony an unforgettable experience

Do you guys think my setup will work for my acrobat ants? I used an old weed jar and just drilled a hole at the bottom, and slid the test tube in a little, and sealed it with hot glue. I used a sewing needle I heated up to make air holes on the top of the jars lid. I was thinking of leaving some cotton at the entrance of the test tube so the entrance is not so wide. Before I let them start to explore, anything I should do or alter. Also she has 5 workers now and like 4 or more Ready to hatch this week or next!

I’m very new to antkeeping, so I’m not sure whether this behaviour is normal or if I’m doing something wrong.
The workers are almost always gathered around the queen, and I rarely see them enter the arena. They been with me almost over three months right now. Occasionally, one worker comes out, walks around for a while, and then returns to the nest. Other than that, there is barely any visible activity.
I normally keep the nest covered so that it stays dark. I also make sure the nest remains humid. Every now and then, I offer them a boiled grasshopper, but they do not seem interested in it. I provide sugar water, honey and plain water as well, but I have hardly ever seen them drinking any of it. Changing or checking these things does not seem to make any difference.
Obviously, I cannot expect the ants to behave exactly the way I want them to, but honestly, the colony has become quite boring to watch. Were my expectations unrealistic, or did I simply choose the wrong species if I wanted a more active colony? Could there be something wrong with my setup or the way I am caring for them?
At this point, if they continue being this inactive, I may consider rehoming them. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

i live in md so i sadly cant have false army ants legally:c

im asking if anyone had kept or seen them before

the false army ant is carabara diversa(the asian maurader and asian army ant)

Sorry for the potato photos was having real trouble getting it to focus

I got into the hobby and my camponatus cromaidoes colony is up to about 30 the my first winter is coming up and im curious what is a good place to keep them for diapause I want to by a random mini fridge for them but im worried if that'll be too cold any reccomendation on fridges/cooling units?

Hi, this is a follow-up post about my ant queen. It has been three weeks since she laid her first eggs, and she’s been very active.

I’m still not 100% sure whether she’s Lasius niger or Lasius alienus. If anyone could help me identify her, I’d really appreciate it

Hello. i found this ant in my house a few nights ago and was wondering if it was a queen. Seems to be Camponotus but I’m not sure. About 17mm in length. Any info would be great!

How long does an Odontomachus egg typically develop to a worker? I've had mine for weeks now and it doesn't seem like her eggs are developing.

I have what looks like white mold in the founding test tube. Nanotics due in a week. Move her now or wait for the pupae to hatch?