How to catch Queen Ants INDOOR | plus 4 weeks Update
Summary
TLDRDuring the global pandemic lockdown, the video creator unexpectedly collects queen ants that are attracted to light in their home. Despite the restrictions, the hobbyist manages to start new ant colonies with various species, including tropical fire ants and a potential pharaoh ant. They share the process of setting up test tubes, observing the queens' egg-laying, and the arrival of the first worker ants. The video also covers catching other queen ants like polyrhachis and yellow crazy antellates, offering insights into ant keeping during quarantine.
Takeaways
- 🏠 During the pandemic lockdown, the video creator was able to collect queen ants from their home due to the insects being attracted to indoor light.
- 🐜 The creator caught multiple queen ants, including red tropical fire ants and other species, which entered through open windows.
- 👑 The first queen ant to lose her wings was chosen to start a new colony, and within weeks, she had laid eggs and produced larvae.
- 📈 The colony grew as more worker ants, or nanitics, joined, demonstrating the development of the ant colony over time.
- 🌙 The creator also caught other queen ants on different nights, including a polyrhachis queen and one that might be a pharaoh ant, though not certain of the identification.
- 🔍 Identification of the potentially pharaoh ant queen was sought from viewers, as her coloration differed from previously caught queens of the same species.
- 🐦 Two yellow crazy antellates were caught and placed together, showing no aggression and beginning to lay eggs, indicating they might be from the same colony or are a polygenous species.
- 👀 A black carpenter ant queen was also caught, but as of the script, she had not yet laid eggs and still had her wings.
- 🍽️ The influx of insects attracted to the light post provided additional food for the ant colonies, highlighting a beneficial side effect of the situation.
- 🌱 The video encourages viewers to try their luck at catching queen ants during their nuptial flights, suggesting that many species are active even during the pandemic.
- 📹 The creator promises to update viewers on the progress of the ant colonies and invites feedback and engagement from the ant-keeping and nature-loving community.
Q & A
How did the global pandemic affect the narrator's ability to collect queen ants?
-The global pandemic led to a community quarantine that stopped most people from going outside, which is typically how queen ants are collected. However, the narrator was still able to collect queen ants during lockdown.
What did the narrator do when an insect flew by and landed on the floor?
-The narrator was overjoyed to realize it was a queen ant and immediately covered it with a plastic cap, then set up a test tube for the queen.
How many queen ants did the narrator find in the living room?
-The narrator found three queen ants in the living room, one on the floor and two more later on.
What type of ants did the narrator decide to keep in a fish tank?
-The narrator decided to keep red tropical fire ants in a fish tank.
Which queen ant did the narrator choose to keep and why?
-The narrator chose to keep the biggest queen ant with the most massive gaster, who was also the first to break off her wings.
How many weeks did it take for the chosen queen ant to lay eggs?
-It took one week for the chosen queen ant to lay her first batch of eggs.
What did the narrator do when they caught two different queens on the same night?
-The narrator set up separate test tubes for each queen and hoped for their success in founding their own colonies.
What was the narrator's strategy for dealing with the uninvited guests attracted to the light post?
-The narrator considered the uninvited guests, which were mostly queen ants, as a source of extra food for their ant colonies.
What happened when the narrator caught two yellow crazy antellates?
-The narrator put them together in the same test tube, and they did not fight but greeted each other, possibly being from the same colony.
What was the narrator's hope for the black carpenter ant queen caught on the same night as the twin yellow crazy ant queens?
-The narrator hoped that the black carpenter ant queen was fertile and would lay her eggs in the following days.
What advice does the narrator give to those who are planning to become ant keepers?
-The narrator advises potential ant keepers to try their luck at catching and having their own queen ants during the nuptial flights, without needing to travel.
Outlines
🐜 Collecting Queen Ants During Lockdown
Despite the global pandemic and community quarantine measures that have halted many industries, the narrator has managed to collect queen ants at home. The video documents the experience of catching queen ants that were attracted to the light in the narrator's living room. The narrator set up test tubes for the queen ants and eventually placed them in a fish tank, choosing to keep the first queen to break off her wings. The video progresses to show the queen's successful egg-laying and the birth of the colony's first worker ant, with more ants joining over time. The narrator also shares an encounter with a polyrhachis queen and an unidentified queen, which they hope will successfully establish their colonies.
👭 Encounters with Multiple Queen Ants
The narrator recounts catching two yellow crazy antellates, which are known for polygyny, the presence of multiple queens in one colony. They decided to place the queens together in the same test tube, where they greeted each other without conflict. The queens both shed their wings and began to lay eggs, with the narrator choosing not to film to reduce stress. Additionally, a black carpenter ant queen was caught but has not yet laid eggs. The narrator expresses hope for the queens' success in founding their colonies and encourages viewers to try their luck at catching queen ants, as many species are having their nuptial flights. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to like, share, and subscribe for updates on the queens' progress.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Queen ants
💡Lockdown
💡Ant keepers
💡Nuptial flights
💡Test tube
💡Polyrhachis queen
💡Pharaoh ant
💡Red tropical fire ants
💡Wingless queens
💡Nanitics
💡Yellow crazy ant
Highlights
During the global pandemic lockdown, the creator managed to collect queen ants without leaving home.
Queen ants were attracted to the bright light in the living room, leading to their collection.
A test tube was set up for the collected queen ants to initiate a new colony.
Multiple queen ants, specifically red tropical fire ants, were collected through open windows.
A fish tank was used to house the collected queen ants, with plans to keep only one.
The chosen queen ant was the first to break off her wings and began laying eggs within a week.
The queen ant's colony grew with more eggs and larvae in the second week.
The first worker ant, or nanitic, emerged in the third week, marking a significant milestone for the colony.
Additional worker ants joined the colony, demonstrating its growth and development.
The creator caught two different queen ants on one night, one of which was a polyrhachis queen.
A pharaoh ant queen was caught, though its identity was uncertain due to color differences.
The pharaoh ant queen laid eggs within two weeks of being caught.
Two yellow crazy antellates were caught and placed together, showing no aggression and beginning to lay eggs.
A black carpenter ant queen was caught, but no updates were provided as she had not yet laid eggs.
The creator encourages viewers to try their luck at catching queen ants during the nuptial flights.
The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to like, share, and subscribe for updates on the ant colonies.
Transcripts
while this video is in the making most
of you are staying at home for weeks
or months now because of the global
pandemic
majority of industries and businesses
has been shut down
but who would have thought that even
kovid 19 can't stop me from collecting
queen ants
let me show you how and how many queen
ants i've caught during lockdown
welcome to d colony
[Music]
community quarantine literally stops me
and most of us from going outside
to hunt for queen ants that's really a
bad news for ant keepers
and those who plans to be in the hobby
this season
but let me tell you a good news
one night while i'm watching tv an
insect fly by my sight and landed on the
floor
i'm overjoyed when i realized that it's
a queen and
looking for an ant keeper so i
immediately volunteered myself
just kidding i think she's just
attracted by the bright light in our
living room
i immediately cover her with a plastic
cap then proceeded to set up a test tube
for this queen
after setting up the test tube i
returned to the living room and spotted
another queen ant in the floor
and another one at the wall
hours had passed more and more queen
entered our open windows since these
queens
are all red tropical fire ants i decided
to put them together in a fish tank
i plan to just keep one of them the one
who first break off her wings
and set the others free
[Music]
the next day four of them became
wingless queens already
so i just choose the biggest queen who
have the most massive gaster than the
others
and after a week here she is with her
very own
pile of eggs in her second week
more batch of eggs and lavas
[Music]
and in the third week i can't explain
the feeling as we welcomed her nanitic
yes the first worker of the colony has
arrived
him too excited and forgot to film their
first meal
and before going to the colony's fourth
week
an additional two nanitics joined them
time really flies
[Music]
another night comes hundreds or maybe
thousands of insects
are flying outside attracted to the
light post
some of them are queen elites opening
the windows this time
will not only let queen ants in but some
uninvited guests
not some really because 99
of insects entering the window will be
them
not a problem because this insects also
provides extra food to my ant colonies
moving on in catching queen ants
tonight i caught two different queens
the first one was a polyrhachis queen
it's not the same queen
i featured on my previous video they're
both polyrhachis indeed
but this queen is still alive
and has three eggs on her second week im
hoping this polyrhachis queen now
will be successful in founding her own
colony
about the second queen i caught tonight
i think she's a pharaoh
until it in size but not really sure
because previously i caught pharaoh and
queens but they're reddish to orange in
color
and her stripes in their gasters but
this one was not similar to them in
terms of color
she is black to dark brown and about
eight to ten millimeters in
size if any one of you guys are familiar
with this gorgeous queen here
you can share it in the comments that
would be a great help
anyway this queen is also on her second
week now
with the pile of her tiny eggs i think
she has more than 10.
she break off her wings two days after i
caught her
but what's interesting on her is she
left one of them
i just wonder why she didn't remove all
of them maybe she'll remove it in the
future
other than that i also hope she makes it
[Music]
another night another queens yes
you hear it right queens i caught this
two yellow crazy antellates with almost
three hours gap but because they are the
same
species and known of being polygenous
or having multiple queens on one colony
i put them together in the same test
tube
luckily they didn't fight but greet each
other the first time they met
housewit or maybe they're just from the
same colony after all
the next day both of them break off
their wings
so i proceed cleaning their detached
wings on their test tube setup
on their fourth day i've seen some eggs
that being taken care by these twin
queens but decided not to take a video
to lessen their stress same night
when i caught the twin yellow crazy ant
queens
i also caught a landing camp on a
tisolat
a black carpenter ant queen no updates
for her now
because since i caught her four days ago
she's still with her wings
and no eggs at the present i just hope
she's fertile
and will lay her eggs in the following
days
i wish these queens to be successful in
founding their colonies
so this is it for this video guys
i will make updates about these queens
soon
and if you're planning to be an ant
keeper you can catch and have
your own queen ants now like what i did
in an open window or in your own
backyard
no need to travel for your dream queen
ants
many ant species is having their nuptial
flights now
why not try your luck well good luck on
our journey as ant keepers
but if you just love ants and nature
thank you for tuning in and watching
till the end
i just hope you have learned something
from this video guys
be a genie for the first time by
granting my wish in tapping the like and
share button
that would help a lot this is d colony
saying goodbye for now but hoping to see
you on my next
[Music]
videos
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)