How to Hibernate Your Queen Ants in Captivity - AntsCanada Tutorial #4

Summary

In this video, Mikey, also known as Ants Canada, addresses his audience's curiosity about his recent absence from uploading content. He explains that it's fall in Toronto, and ants, including his tetramorium colony, are hibernating. Mikey shares his method of hibernating his ants in a cold basement, ensuring they're not exposed to outdoor temperatures that could kill them. He displays various species, including ponera, lacious Neo, Niger, and parasitic glacius, all lethargic and conserving energy for the winter. He also mentions his plans to possibly introduce parasitic glacius to non-parasitic colonies in the future.

Takeaways

• 📅 Mikey, also known as AntsCanada, explains the reason for his lack of video uploads is due to the fall season in Toronto.
• 🌡️ As the weather gets cold in temperate regions during this time of the year, ants go into hibernation, which limits the activities for ant keepers.
• 🐜 Mikey has a tetramorium colony that remains active even during the fall, unlike other species.
• 🏠 He shows his storage area in the basement where he hibernates his ants, which is cold but not exposed to outdoor temperatures.
• ❄️ Ants hibernate underground and can withstand a few degrees above the ambient outdoor temperature during winter.
• 🚫 Mikey emphasizes not to put ants outside during hibernation as they could die from the cold.
• 🧪 He has several species of ants in glass test tubes, including ponera, lacious Neo, Niger, and parasitic lasus, all hibernating lethargically.
• 🍯 Mikey provides a drop of honey for the ants to drink if they want, showing care for their needs during hibernation.
• 🔍 He checks on the ants periodically to ensure they are okay and to prevent mold, also adding honey every month.
• 🐦 Mikey has a plan to introduce parasitic glacius ants to a non-parasitic laus species' colony if he has one, aiming to create a parasitic glacius colony.
• 📝 The video script concludes with a reminder of how Mikey hibernates his ants and a thanks to his viewers.

Q & A

Why has Mikey, also known as Ants Canada, not uploaded any videos lately?

Mikey hasn't uploaded videos because it's fall in Toronto, and ants go into hibernation during this time, leading to less activity for ant keepers.

What does Mikey do during the time when most ants are hibernating?

Mikey shows how he hibernates his ants, keeping them in a cold storage area in the basement without heating.

Why is it not advisable to put ants outside during hibernation?

Ants brown in the ground during hibernation and can stay a few degrees above the ambient temperature outside, but putting them outside directly could lead to their death.

What kind of environment does Mikey use to hibernate his ants?

Mikey uses a cold, unheated basement storage area, which is similar to a garage or attic, to hibernate his ants.

How long do Mikey's ants remain in hibernation?

Mikey's ants remain in hibernation until around March.

What precautions does Mikey take while his ants are hibernating?

Mikey checks on the ants periodically to ensure they are okay, to prevent mold, and to add a drop of honey every month or so.

What types of ants does Mikey have hibernating in his video?

Mikey has several species of ants hibernating, including Poneroid, Lasius Neoniger, and a parasitic Glacius.

Why does Mikey add a drop of honey for his hibernating ants?

The drop of honey is provided for the ants to drink if they want to, sustaining them during their hibernation period.

What is Mikey's plan for the parasitic Glacius ants once the non-parasitic species have a colony?

Mikey plans to introduce the parasitic Glacius ants to the non-parasitic species' colony to create a parasitic Glacius colony.

What is the significance of the 'Do not touch fragile glass, test tubes sleeping ants the side up' sign in the video?

The sign indicates that the test tubes containing the hibernating ants are fragile and should be handled with care to avoid disturbing the ants or breaking the tubes.

How does Mikey ensure the ants' well-being during hibernation?

Mikey ensures the ants' well-being by monitoring them for signs of mold, providing honey for sustenance, and maintaining a suitable cold environment for hibernation.

Outlines

00:00

🌨️ Ant Hibernation in Cold Seasons

In this paragraph, Mikey, also known as AntsCanada, addresses the absence of recent video uploads due to the fall season in Toronto, where the ants he keeps go into hibernation as the temperature drops. He explains that in temperate regions, ants hibernate during the colder months, and he provides a tour of his basement storage area where he keeps his ant colonies. The ants are stored in glass test tubes, kept in a cool but not freezing environment, which is ideal for their hibernation. Mikey mentions that he will check on them periodically to ensure they are safe from mold and will provide them with honey drops for sustenance every month or so.

Keywords

💡Ants

Ants are social insects known for their organized colonies and complex behaviors. In the context of the video, ants are the main subject, as the video is about how to care for them during the hibernation period. The script mentions several species, indicating the variety of ants the speaker is keeping.

💡Hibernation

Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals during winter. In the video, the speaker explains that ants hibernate during the colder months, which is why there is less activity for ant keepers. The script provides details on how to properly hibernate ants to ensure their survival.

💡Tetramorium

Tetramorium is a genus of ants that are known for their ability to adapt to different climates. The speaker mentions having a Tetramorium colony that remains active even during the hibernation season, demonstrating the resilience of this particular species.

💡Hibernation Storage

The term refers to a specific place where the ants are kept during hibernation. The speaker describes using a cold basement as a hibernation storage area, which is not heated and maintains a temperature suitable for the ants' hibernation.

💡Ponera

Ponera is a genus of ants that the speaker caught during the summer and featured in a previous video. The mention of Ponera in the script illustrates the variety of ants the speaker is managing and their activity levels during hibernation.

💡Lacious Neo

Lacious Neo, likely referring to Lasius neoniger, is a species of ant mentioned in the script. The speaker describes these ants as being lethargic during hibernation, indicating their state of reduced activity.

💡Parasitic Lasus

Parasitic Lasus is a term used to describe a species of ants that have a parasitic relationship with other ant colonies. The speaker mentions adding a drop of honey for these ants, showing care for their needs during hibernation.

💡Species Diversity

Species diversity refers to the variety of different species within a particular environment. The script mentions several species of ants, showcasing the diversity of ants the speaker is managing and their individual hibernation needs.

💡Honey

Honey is a sweet food substance produced by bees and used by humans and animals alike. In the video, the speaker adds a drop of honey for the ants to drink during hibernation, indicating a method of providing sustenance during their inactive period.

💡Mold

Mold is a type of fungus that can grow in damp or humid conditions. The speaker mentions checking for mold to ensure the ants' health during hibernation, highlighting the importance of maintaining a clean environment for the ants.

💡Glacius

Glacius is a genus of ants, some of which are parasitic. The speaker mentions a parasitic Glacius species hibernating and expresses an interest in introducing it to a non-parasitic colony, indicating a desire to study or observe the interactions between different ant species.

Highlights

Mikey, also known as AntsCanada, explains the absence of recent video uploads due to the fall season in Toronto.

Fall in temperate regions, including Toronto, leads to cold temperatures and ant hibernation, affecting ant keepers' activities.

Mikey introduces his tetramorium colony, which remains active despite the seasonal changes.

The video showcases a method to hibernate ants by storing them in a cold but not freezing environment.

Ants hibernate underground and can tolerate temperatures slightly above ambient during winter.

Mikey keeps his ants in the basement, a location without heating, to simulate hibernation conditions.

The ants are stored in fragile glass test tubes, requiring careful handling.

A drop of honey is provided for the ants to drink during hibernation.

Mikey has multiple ant species in hibernation, including ponera, lacious Neo, Niger, and parasitic lasus.

The video includes a plan to introduce parasitic glacius ants to a non-parasitic laus colony.

Mera ants are also part of Mikey's hibernating collection.

Regular checks are performed on the hibernating ants to ensure their well-being and prevent mold.

Honey is added to the ants' hibernation environment approximately once a month.

The video concludes with a demonstration of how Mikey hibernates his ants, emphasizing care and attention to detail.

Transcripts

hey what's up guys it's your boy Mikey

here um AKA ants

Canada um and uh I know some of you guys

have been asking why I haven't uploaded

any videos lately um and it's because uh

it's fall here in Toronto and uh like in

all temperate regions it gets cold

around this time of the year Well in

this hemisphere

anyway um and the ants go into

hibernation so there isn't much action

for ant Keepers around this time unless

you have like my tetramorium colony

which I have now and they're still going

as if it's still summer so um I just

wanted to show you guys how I hibernate

my Ants um so I if you look around this

is just kind of like a a storage in the

basement um and uh you know it's

relatively cold here it's actually kind

of chilly now um and there's no heating

here

uh you know but it's not exactly outside

you know so um you don't want to put

your ants outside because well they'll

die um ants brow in the ground when they

hibernate and they can stay uh a few

degrees above the ambient temperature

outside during the winter um and so I I

keep mine here a garage will do um or an

attic or something but anyway uh let you

have a look here they remain here

probably

till I'd say March um all my ants are

here you see do not touch fragile glass

test tubes sleeping ants the side

up um and I've got a couple species of

ants here that are all hibernating this

here is

a oh this is ponera caught that in the

summer

actually that was that's that's the ant

that was uh in my last

video um this here is a lacious Neo

Niger um and they're all very very

lethargic here um I've added a drop of

honey for them to you know to

drink if they want is a parasitic

lasus and let's see got several species

here this here is a

laus um either neoniger or

alienus um I believe I have

a what's this this is a parasitic

glacius who is hibernating as

well um I'm going if any of the um laus

non-parasitic species that I have here

if any of them have a

colony then uh I'll probably try to

introduce um the parasitic glacius to

that Colony so I can

have a parasitic glacius

Colony this is a

Mera so anyways so that's what I do

they're all here they're all cold um I

check them every now and then you you

know uh to make sure they're okay make

sure mold isn't taking over um and to

you know add a drop of Honey every month

or

so what's that it's another parasitic

glacius

yeah this here is a lacious

neoniger all right so that there

is how I hibernate my Ants thanks guys