How to Collect and Store Queen Ants During Nuptial Flight Season - AntsCanada Tutorial #5
Summary
TLDRIn this engaging video, the narrator documents their ant-catching spree in Toronto, capturing various queen ants after a week of rain creates perfect conditions for nuptial flights. They share insights on ant species identification, debunking the myth that winged queens are unfertilized, and showcasing different species like Lasius Niger and a citronella ant social parasite. The video offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of antkeeping, highlighting the hobby's potential and the narrator's passion for these tiny creatures.
Takeaways
- π The speaker is documenting the process of catching queen ants of various species.
- π They emphasize the importance of distinguishing between male and female ants, as only queens are the focus of their collection.
- π The speaker mentions that the presence of wings on a queen does not necessarily indicate whether she is fertilized or not, debunking a common myth.
- π§οΈ Rain in Toronto after a dry spell has triggered nuptial flights for the ants, making it an opportune time for catching them.
- π The speaker has caught several queens, including Lacus Neo Niger and a suspected social parasite species, and plans to verify their species on an ant forum.
- π― They describe a method of caring for the captured queens by providing them with honey drops using a toothpick.
- π‘οΈ The video also mentions the preparation of test tubes to keep the queens warm and the anticipation of their hibernation as the weather gets colder.
- π The speaker is part of an ant forum, indicating a community interest in ant species identification and care.
- π There is a desire expressed for more awareness and biological literacy about ants, suggesting that antkeeping could be a popular hobby.
- πͺ The speaker dismisses the idea of starting a business for antkeeping due to legal difficulties and personal career satisfaction.
- π― An incident of a broken test tube is mentioned, showing the practical challenges of the ant-catching process.
Q & A
What is the main activity described in the transcript?
-The main activity described in the transcript is the process of catching and documenting various species of queen ants.
Why does the speaker mention checking the ants on the ground?
-The speaker mentions checking the ants on the ground to determine their species and to ensure they are queens and not males.
What misconception about queen ants does the speaker address?
-The speaker addresses the misconception that queens with wings are not fertilized, providing personal experience to refute this belief.
How does the speaker describe the weather conditions as being ideal for the queen ants' nuptial flights?
-The speaker describes the weather as warm and humid, which is ideal for the queen ants' nuptial flights, especially after a period of no rain.
What species of ants are mentioned in the transcript?
-The species mentioned include Lacus Neo Niger, a social parasite, citronella ants, and an unidentified small species that the speaker plans to verify on an ant forum.
What method does the speaker use to catch the queen ants?
-The speaker uses test tubes to catch the queen ants and then adds them to a pile.
Why does the speaker mention the importance of verifying the species of the caught ants?
-The speaker mentions the importance of verifying the species to ensure accurate documentation and understanding of the different types of ants encountered.
What does the speaker do to keep the queen ants warm and nourished?
-The speaker keeps the queen ants warm and nourishes them by creating a drop of honey with a toothpick for them to drink every few weeks.
What is the speaker's opinion on the potential for antkeeping as a hobby in North America?
-The speaker believes that antkeeping is a great hobby that can take off in North America with more awareness and biological literacy promoted.
Why does the speaker decline the idea of starting a business related to antkeeping?
-The speaker declines the idea due to the difficulty of running such a business under current laws in North America and a preference for their current rewarding career.
Outlines
π Queen Ant Collection and Identification
The speaker documents their experience catching various queen ants in their yard in Toronto after the first rainfall in weeks, which created ideal conditions for the ants' nuptial flights. They describe the difficulty in distinguishing between male and female ants and the challenge of catching specific species. The speaker refutes the common belief that queens with wings are not fertilized, citing personal observations of winged queens laying eggs. They also mention catching a Lasius (Laci) queen with males attached, confirming her fertilization. The video includes the collection of queens in test tubes and observing their congregation on a tarp, identifying different species such as Lasius Niger and a social parasite, possibly citronella ants, which are noted for their pleasant smell. The speaker expresses a wish for more resources for antkeeping in North America and shares theirθ participation in an ant forum for species verification.
π Diverse Ant Species and Antkeeping Hobby Advocacy
The speaker expresses amazement at the diversity of ant species encountered during the ant-catching session, likening it to an 'ant lover's heaven.' They express a desire for better access to materials and equipment for antkeeping in Canada, similar to what is available in Europe. The speaker advocates for increased awareness and biological literacy regarding ants, emphasizing their fascination and ease of care as pets. They recount being asked about starting a business in antkeeping but decline due to legal challenges and satisfaction with their current career. The video concludes with the speaker's method of preparing test tubes for queen ants, ensuring their warmth and sustenance with honey, and notes on the upcoming hibernation period as the weather gets colder.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Queens
π‘Species
π‘Nuptial Flights
π‘Test Tubes
π‘Fertilized
π‘Ant Keeping
π‘Laci Queen
π‘Social Parasite
π‘Citronella Ants
π‘Ant Forum
π‘Hibernation
Highlights
Documenting the process of catching queen ants.
Observing queens on the ground and distinguishing between species and gender.
Misidentification of a queen as a male due to uncertainty.
Presence of multiple ant species during the observation.
Challenges in capturing small and elusive ant species.
Debunking the myth that queens with wings are unfertilized.
Personal experience with fertilized queens retaining their wings.
Witnessing a Lacy queen with a male attached, confirming fertilization.
Environmental conditions influencing ant activity, such as rain and humidity.
Catching various ant species including Lacus Neo Niger and potential social parasites.
The unique citronella ants and their distinctive smell.
Using an ant forum for species verification of unknown ants.
Acius queen caught with males, indicating successful mating.
Behavior of ants congregating on a tarp for capture.
The accidental breakage of a test tube and the need for cleanup.
The abundance of Lacus Neo Niger ants during the session.
Reflection on the potential for an ant-keeping hobby and the lack of resources in North America.
Discussion on the feasibility of starting an ant-keeping business.
Care for captured queen ants, including providing honey for sustenance.
Anticipating queen ants going into hibernation as temperatures drop.
Transcripts
there's one right there oh I don't know
if you can see that there it goes
they're everywhere and I wanted to just
document how I catch these Queens see if
you look on the ground you see them
walking
around I'm not sure what species species
this is
but you also got to check them cuz they
might be
males uh that looks like
a mail to me but I'm not sure I'm just
going to let her be this for sure is
this is another species there must be
four or five species flying today so
small
um I don't even know how I will be able
to pick that one
up come
on I
have caught about two of these
already they're the most difficult to
catch there you
go
sweet test tube her
up and we'll prepare a test tube for her
after and add her to the
pile
now I know it's been said that if the
Queens still have their Wings on that
they're it means they're not
fertilized that I can say is untrue
because I've had Queens with wings lay
eggs
and
um they've turned out to
be fertile um Queens with
workers uh they often just remove them
later
on I also caught a Laci Queen a few
weeks
ago
um with a male attached to her abdomen
so I knew she was made it for sure and
she never shed her wings and a few weeks
later
she
um had uh she had eggs and
so I will be proof
that um that it's untrue if you catch a
queen with wings that she might not be
fertilized she just might not be
fertilized in general even if they break
their wings
off here in my yard they're just kind of
like flying
around yesterday it rained and it's the
first time that it's rained in weeks
here in Toronto there's one right there
and
so
today it's warm and humid and it's
perfect for the Queen's
for the nuptial flights to happen so
here are some of the ones I caught um
we've got some lacus Neo Niger
here um and I believe a social parasite
tons of these um it's a laus parasite uh
laus social parasite
um I believe they're citronella
ants I love the way they smell
um and of course the little diminutive
species here the tiny I have no idea
what she is but I will
verify her species on the ant Forum I'm
part
of this is acius Queen I caught with two
males attached to her abdomen so she's
made it for
sure and we like to land on this tarp
here and see how they congregate they
just congregate here these are all males
but there will be females congregating
around
here and I just pick them up with my
test
tube and add them to the
pile there's another
lacus where'd it
go anyways hope you enjoyed my oh anting
spree and there goes a broken test tube
which I have to clean up
now come on come on
lacus this here is a lacus Neo
Niger there are tons of them tons tons
tons of them today
there's another
lasci it was incredible how many species
of laus were flying today couldn't
believe
it it was an ant Lover's
[Applause]
heaven so
yeah I kind of wish Canada was like
Europe and that there was an ant store
where people
could have access to
materials and Equipment required for
successful
antkeeping um I feel like it's a great
hobby uh that can definitely take off
here in North America more awareness
and like Biol
literacy was
promoted um cuz they're just such
fascinating
creatures and you know fairly easy to
keep terms of
pets I was asked once if I would be
willing to start a business like
that first of all no
because uh the laws make it difficult to
really run a business like that in North
America and second of
all I love my current career and it's
very
rewarding financially and
otherwise okay another Lacy is here so
that is how I prepare my test tubes I
keep these Queens warm every few weeks I
will use a toothpick to create a drop of
honey for them to
drink so they can fill
up and in a few weeks they will likely
be going into hibernation as it gets
colder and uh that's it thanks guys for
watching my video
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