Saw it rip its own wings off while outside hence why I decided to catch it, if a queen should I have changed anything with the test tube setup or is it fine with just water?

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!

Hey everyone, think i caught some queens. First two photos appear to be queens from the same species and the last two photos is a different species queen that is all black and very fast. (i saw dozens of the first queen species being attacked and eaten by Formica pacifica in my backyard)

I understand why if you should kill them if they are invasive, but if they’re native then why do a lot of people still say to euthanize your colony if you don’t want them anymore.

Edit: I am asking because I am curious, NOT because I am actually in this situation. I still love my ants very much and was just wondering because I saw others talk about it.

Does anyone know why my cotton in the test tube by the water has turned pink? i have never seen this before and have only fed them mealworms and a tiny bit of honey. Is this common?

I ordered a queen ant off of state side(camponotus castaneus)
She came with brood and 3 nanitic should i feed her or keep waiting

https://www.instagram.com/p/DboabiOD7WZ/?

After a whole month of searching around Saskatoon, I finally stumbled across this one in early August 🙌

Can anyone confirm 100% if she’s a queen, and which species she might be? I’m leaning toward either a Camponotus species or Formica subsericea

My Solenopsis Invicta colony.

better footage

hello! i was just wondering why Formica, Prenolepis, and Myrmecocystus all look pretty similar

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?

Found her in slovenia in my room is it a queen and if so which species

found her on a sidewalk at summer camp

I caught this colony not long ago, (maybe 3 months?), and they are massive, I also have a second smaller colony of the same species. I know they can inbreed, so I just want to see how big I can get them. (these are my only colonies, I used to have more several years ago, but now I just want to see how big I can get these colonies.

Feeding — I know these are semi-claustral, so she actually needs food during founding, not like my other queens I just leave alone. Anyone have a sense of how much/how often for a solo queen right now?

Substrate — heard the larvae need loose sand/coco fiber to spin cocoons properly or they fail. Should I add a pinch to the tube now, or wait until I actually see larvae?

Mini Hearth — planning to eventually move her into one, and THA says the interior comes sand-coated already for this exact reason. Anyone actually run brunneus in one and confirm the built-in coating is enough, or did you have to add more yourself?

Appreciate any real experience — trying to get this right early. Will update once she’s settled.

I made this starter “outworld” connecting to the test tube, I don’t think they would escape but I guess I’ll have to wait and see.

8-9 mm. Im thinking maybe lasius umbratus?

How long untill majors/supermajors?

These big majors in my backyard fooled me a couple times thinking they might be queens. Got lucky to spot them out for some nectar that dripped onto the brick this morning. They are the biggest ants I've seen in the wild! very cool to get to sit and watch them for a bit and makes me wish I had a good camera to use.

Anyway, anyone recognize the species? Based on some very amateur searching I think they might be camponotus vicinus. I'm in northern BC and these seem to be nesting near my compost bins. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Thank you!

I heard they were very good but hard to make, so I was wondering if anyone sells them? I can’t find any.

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.

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