Camponotus Nicobarensis | Why YOU should try keeping Exotic Ants

In this Video I explain some advantages of exotic ant species over their native counterparts, do a perk overview based on my Camponotus Nicobarensis pet ant colony and encourage you to try keeping exotic ants yourself! If you consider buying exotic pet ants, but are not sure whether they are the right choice for you, this guide will help you make your decision.
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[@AntsVienna]

Have YOU tried keeping Exotic Ants yet??? Comment bellow!😃 💬 Worldwide Ant Keeper Chat: discord.gg/PBw6BvU 🎬 Learn more about Camponotus Ants: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKO7gGCcq815etU

[@markmonster8748]

No, haven't tried yet, but I hear that Nicobarensis are good exotic starter :)

[@koar4968]

yes messor minor hesperius and a looking forward to a odontomachus colony. (dream ants)

[@AntsVienna]

Yes, they were a good starter for me👍🐜

[@noh2.070]

​@@AntsVienna can you tell me how to get Camponotus aethiops I live in Germany

[@AntsPablo]

Don't want to spend money on them, because i ain't that experienced yet. So it could be a waste of Ant life and money

[@dkkoh88]

I have kept exotic ants before and are still keeping them . I currently have 2 species that are quite exotic . The 2 are odontoponera denticulata and a odontomachus simillimus. I also do keep camponotus ants. The colony I keep is camponotus maculatus, irritans and auriventris. I love them because of their unique colour and size . I love to watch them . My ants also did run around in circles and circles for 1 minute 🤣🤣 until I dropped a cricket in . They stopped running and went after the cricket. It was hilarious to see em running around. We certainly have lots to learn about these fascinating creatures.

[@AntsVienna]

Quite the ant collection you've got👍 True, there is so much about ant behavior that we still have to learn. The ants running in circles: "Come on already! Drop that cricket!" haha

[@TedBonnick]

i like camponotus ants because they are big and i like the colours

[@AntsVienna]

There is a lot to like about Camponotus ants! They are also polymorphic for example

[@JimBox810]

Hoping this is the beginning of a bunch of uploads this Ant Queen hunting season.

[@AntsVienna]

Yes, I do plan catching some Queens this season. Spoiler - I'll be abroad for some time, so I might get to catch more new ant species Queens😉🐜

[@jakefromthefarn5514]

I love this ant species! Im hoping to get a camponotus nicobarensis but I’m worried when to move them from a test tube to a formicarium to soon. When do you think I should move my ants and into what kind of formicarium? What did you use?

[@AntsVienna]

Hello there. What worked for me best was to leave a few test tubes open in an outworld. Here is a full playlist of my Camponotus nicobarensis colony, where I into more deatail on my journey with them 😄🐜 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmWueH2japqeh7M&ab_channel=AntsVienna

[@cobramesi8903]

I just got a small colony of camponotus ligniperda and i love how big they are. What nest would be best for them?

[@AntsVienna]

Hello there. Ligniperda do best in earth/sand nests. Here is a DIY build tutorial, for inspiration 😉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKGpfaOlppWrZ5o&ab_channel=AntsVienna

[@antsandpets]

Awesome video!!

[@AntsVienna]

Thanks! Trying to improve my editing skill with every new video :)

[@billbolton7108]

I guess you could say that you spoil them with the good stuff 😄

[@AntsVienna]

haha - True! I love my ants! Here is my new favourite species: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5KwY5qKn6popbc

[@Leisalchemyworkshop]

It is very nice to have a small colony of this species but when it grow up, it will be not that nice any more. Firstly, I had a 700 worker colony and found the worker's color will become darker as the colony grows up, so it won't be these kind of bueatiful orange color anymore. Secondly, they grow too fast need change nest quite frequently, although it depends, somepeople may love species grows faster but I personally prefer small and delicate colony like bull ant or Harpegnathos venator.But Camponotus nicobarensis is still good as it is very easy to keep.

[@AntsVienna]

Hello there. Yes, I also love these ants because they are easy to keep and do not need hibernation - so I get to see them all year long in action! :)

[@christopherclayton7390]

Awesome video! I love your videos. I live in texas and haven't started collecting yet but I'm interested in starting with one of these species or harvester red ant. I'm not sure which yet. I really want to find my own queen but night have to purchase one instead.

[@AntsVienna]

Hello Christopher! Glad you enjoy my videos :) If you want to find your own Queen just keep your eyes open: Nuptial Flights 2022 start in about 2 weeks and last until September. Meanwhile you can check out this video, where I give tips that help when looking for Queen ants: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYrEZ2aHnZaoqdk

[@R1vEr-m5x]

Plz make an ant farm shaped as an ant farm shaped as an ant

[@AntsVienna]

Noted the idea - thanks for mentioning👍

[@MoniDimoni]

Lovely species 😍

[@AntsVienna]

Love them. They keep me company when all my other (native) ants are in hibernation

[@fourmis6087]

Nice i love this sp

[@AntsVienna]

Yes, me too :)

[@gontrandjojo9747]

Nicobarensis have A LOT of advantages. The only problem is that they keep a lot of their trash in the nest, even if they don't have no more space they don't clean...

[@AntsVienna]

haha - True, they are quite messy ants😂

[@kbants4063]

Great video 🐜🐜

[@AntsVienna]

Thanks fellow ant keeper👍

[@Green.screen.hunter]

I keep lasius niger But they dont grow in nubers i feed them 2 years the queen lays eggs but in 2 years i only have 9 ants They are super tiny the lasius niger like a millimeter in size but the queen is a centimeter? Any tips

[@AntsVienna]

hello there. What nest are you keeping them in? What are you feeding them? My lasius Niger got a lot better since I moved them into this sand ant farm: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmnIm2Sbd9V2Z5o Here are some tips for feeding your ants: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKTRnY2Ngs96bbs Hope this helps you out!

[@mikoants9485]

I am Camponotus crazy. I keep Nicobarenses, Vagus, Ligniperda and Herculeans

[@AntsVienna]

I can totally relate to you🙂 Have tried them all, expect for Herculeanus. Which is your favourite species among them??

[@mikoants9485]

@@AntsVienna When I started I loved Ligniperda for the bitter sweet thoughts they are my first colony but when I got Vagus and seen their attitude, they became my number one. Ligniperda gets stressed a lot and when I clean them, they are stressed whille when I am cleanning Vagus, they are cool about it, not running or stress about. So I would say this. I like the character of my Vagus colony, whille by heart Ligniperda are my first colony. lol To sumarize all, all my colonies means a lot to me but I keen very much to Camponotus whatever spieces in general.

[@killerzweg509]

1. Yes. Camponotus herculeanus and camponotus nicobarensis. 2. The size of the ants for herculeanus. The growth rate of the nicobarensis, and their agression.

[@killerzweg509]

3. I had a escaped ant crawling all the way to my fire alarm (works with a laser) and she set it off.😂

[@killerzweg509]

5. Mealworms, fruit flies, crickets, jellycups, sugarwater and honeydew.

[@AntsVienna]

lol - What are the odds of this happening?😂

[@AntsVienna]

I love my Ligniperdus for their size, but they grow so slow that it's not fun...

[@killerzweg509]

@@AntsVienna yeah, mine are in their 2th year with 8 workers. But somehow it feels more rewarding when i see a larve. Feels excited. I would not keep them as your main ants but at the side I really think its a nice one to keep.

[@bugswar2647]

Q1: yes I keep camponotus ligniperda

[@AntsVienna]

Nice! How old is your colony? How many workers? Mine grow really slow unfortunately kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJa7aJxjr5eLeMk

[@sifou0550]

I havent had tthe pleasure of owning one. My first queen was camponotus but she was infertile

[@AntsVienna]

Hello Sifou! Yes, I remember you saying that... What species was that Campo Queen again?

[@austinkelly7500]

I keep Camponotus floridanus. It's a beautiful species and my absolute favorite. Their large size makes them easy to see and they come in a amazing mixed color of red and orange

[@AntsVienna]

Floridanus are a very pretty species🤩 So, did you catch the Queen yourself?

[@austinkelly7500]

@@AntsVienna I actually caught a small colony with the queen. I actually have 2 colonies of them. I also have a trap jaw colony and a pyramid any colony that I raised from just queens. I have been unable to catch a carpenter ant queen by herself though. Haven't been able to nail down their flight season

[@AntsVienna]

Camponotus Queens fly first, early in the flight season. Usually from late April until mid June Hope this helps you find one😉

[@Thranbloyt]

For me camontus nicobarensis are native to where I live.

[@AntsVienna]

Awesome! Well, I live in Austria, Europe - so I had to buy them and need to heat them with a matt, since Temperatures are on the lower side here

[@Thranbloyt]

@@AntsVienna alll the queens I caught where infertile except 1 that I gave to my friend so I bought 2 queens from a local ant keeper that will soon get there first worker

[@koar4968]

1. Yes camponotus ligniperda. 2.Because they a large ant species, and they have beutiful colors, the negatives is hibernation, and slow growing. (im from Hungary next to Austria) 3.yes 4.They created a satelite nest in a dubia roach! (messor minor hisperius) 5. Mealworms, cricket, dubia roach, honey, sugarwater, fruits, (seeds for harvester ants(messor)) i ofer them a varaity.

[@AntsVienna]

Wow! 5/5 Questions - this is a first! 👍 Yes, I also love my Ligniperda, but they do take ages to grow. Size is impressive though - Soem Ligniperda workers are bigger than Camp. Nicobarensis Queens!😂

[@AntsVienna]

I also want to try Messor, BUT I want like THE biggest Messor. As far as I know Minor Hesperius are middle-size, correct?

[@koar4968]

@@AntsVienna yes messor minor hisperius is kinda a middle sized messor, messor cephalotes is the biggest messor but they are expensive an less expensive big messor is messor Arenarius i think that is a great big messor sp for antkeeping🐜🐜🐜

[@koar4968]

@@AntsVienna yea and their bite can draw a litle bit of blood for me. (camp.ligniperda)

[@AntsVienna]

The bite sounds painful. Thankfully hadn't have to feel it yet😅

[@szonator]

I see you got some majors. Do you reckon when did they start appearing?

[@AntsVienna]

Yes, I think the first major was after 150 normal workers

[@szonator]

@@AntsVienna Thx! I have a nicobarensis colony of my own and I kept then since 1 or 3 workers and they're prop over 30 now and always have brood in all 3 stages so I can't wait till I see the first one!

[@jjatlemarminne2145]

Im not allowed to keep Camponotus ants, as me and my parents live in a house only made out of wood, they get affraid that the ants will escape and destroy the house, kind of boring honestly...

[@AntsVienna]

Sorry to hear that... Are you allowed to keep any other ants at least?

[@tylerdavidson716]

Even if a worker or workers escape and u stop were they escaped from the workers will die off without there queen, but u should be lucky most will stay very close to the nest. I've got 12 different species and u just gotta take precautions as far as escaping so put barrier up so they can't climb to the top! U definitely need to atleast try ant keeping it's so much fun 😊

[@resarf2527]

I keep camponotus ligniperda and the reason I love them is their amazing size and colour and the majors are also amazing with their massive heads

[@AntsVienna]

Hey there. So you have a bigger Ligniperda colony? Mine are struggling, but the Queen has layed a bunch of eggs last week😃

[@resarf2527]

@@AntsVienna its a small colony of 4 workers but lots of brood

[@AntsVienna]

Lots of brood sounds good to me :)

[@SkitStatic2]

With this species when do i move them into a antnest

[@AntsVienna]

I suggest doing a tubs and Tubes setup when they reach 20+ workers

[@Drpaper1]

I disagreed, they can harm the ecosystem if they escape and some people realease them on perpose so i disagree.it is better to catch native queens to your area.

[@AntsVienna]

Hello again. I agree with you. When starting with ant keeping it is best to go for native ants, since they won't harm the ecosystem if they escape or you skip the hobby. By the way: I do actually mention starting with native ants in the video at 2:53

[@christianyeo2176]

Yesssssss new video

[@AntsVienna]

Yes, sorry to keep you waiting - hope you like it 🙂

[@eugenechan3971]

I have a lot of Nicobarensis colonies because they are native to my country.

[@AntsVienna]

This is cool - you are lucky! If I was you I would try to found a 3-4 Queen colony!🐜🐜🐜🐜

[@eugenechan3971]

@@AntsVienna I was going to try that this year.

[@AntsVienna]

If you do - let me know what happens! I am curious :)

[@eugenechan3971]

@@AntsVienna sure

[@kair5947]

I do keep Camponotus ants, Camponotus Modoc. I like them because they are local and big enough to see easily.

[@AntsVienna]

Modoc are nice indeed! May I ask where you live?

[@kair5947]

@@AntsVienna I live in the low desert in Arizona, USA near Phoenix.

[@ccoollman1]

I have carponotus nicobarensis and messor barbarus colonies and I 3D print nests and arenas to test my skill and keep the ants happy in unique designs

[@AntsVienna]

Sounds good to me! Are your ants still doing well?

[@ccoollman1]

@@AntsVienna slow growing but stable and eating well

[@Ninuturu]

Camponotus majors also act like repletes instead of guards :D nicobarensis not needing a hibernation is a myth, most nicobarensis actually need a diapause, it depends a lot on their capture location and is actually very important

[@AntsVienna]

In my colony usually media take the replete role, but true👍 Absolutely! Only a small number of Nicobarensis don't need hibernation. My Queens take an egg-laying brake from mid-November to January. However, with so much brood it is hardly noticeable😂

[@antsfr1416]

I'm thinking of getting a queen of Camponotus nicobarensis also because of how fast the colony grows. For now I'm just studying them a bit more. Great video Vienna

[@AntsVienna]

Thanks! Glad if my video could help you out. Will keep documenting this Colony for you guys😉🐜

[@antsfr1416]

@@AntsVienna it helps a lot. Been a fan for a while from my other channel. Keep up the great work, always waiting for more videos from you Vienna.

[@yaeloren1]

Can u give me advice i have camponutus ants , thanks.

[@AntsVienna]

Hello there. Of course I can give you advice - in form of recommended videos😉 So here you go: - Mistakes to avoid (for all ant species): kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXqpqIWEhqqErLc - My experience/advice with Camponotus: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKO7gGCcq815etU Hope these videos help you out!

[@ALIFFA-FP]

Ants Vienna what's your country? , Indonesia ITS my country

[@AntsVienna]

Hello there. Vienna is Austria's capital city... so Austria is my country. Greetings to Indonesia!😃👋

[@ALIFFA-FP]

Kalidadap is where I live, precisely in the village, Greetings to Austria

[@Kentuckyants-shorts]

I would keep exotic Ants but my country has a law where you can’t buy ants from other countries

[@AntsVienna]

Sorry about that... But I am sure you got cool native species as well

[@ALIFFA-FP]

It's true that you don't need to buy ants from other countries. I'm sure you also have ants that other countries don't have

[@Kentuckyants-shorts]

Yeah, I know

[@Kentuckyants-shorts]

@@AntsVienna yeah we have a few cool ant species like Camponotus chromaiodes is there a lot like the c.Langaperda & c.Herculenus (sorry if I spelled it wrong) i’m not really that good at spelling ant species in the Camponotus genius in fact we do have C.Hercululenus

[@Lordiisback]

i ceep Camponotus herculeanus, crueantatus and ligniperdus, they are common in my region (exept the crueantatus) i like that i can see everything without a magnifiign glas an can observe better how they interact with each other

[@AntsVienna]

Cool! So, out of the 3 species, which one grows faster in your experience?

[@robertjanulik285]

cool thankyou :)

[@AntsVienna]

You're welcome! 😄🐜

[@JIMI7600]

HI, should i keep the Queen in the dark all time? also no food correct ? Thx !

[@AntsVienna]

Hello there. Yes, if just have a Queen in a test tube keep her dark for 4-5 weeks until she gets her first workers - No food, no checking on her (it stresses her out).

[@JIMI7600]

@@AntsVienna Thanks ! Will wait and keep you updated ! When would be the best time to move the colony and start to feed them ?

[@AntsVienna]

I talk about when to move a colony in this video 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXqpqIWEhqqErLc&ab_channel=AntsVienna

[@alright7941]

Can exotic ants be kept in the US?

[@AntsVienna]

Yes, of course. Depending on the species you may just have to heat them. Also, you are not allowed to leave exotic ants free if you decide you don't like them - they might be a danger to the local ecosystem.

[@alright7941]

@@AntsVienna i was thinking of getting harpegnathos venator or camponotus nicobarensis. each site ive gone to says that i need to check the laws on what ants i can keep in my area before i order but i cant find anything on keeping exotic ants where i live

[@kujofn.8220]

7:35 is that the second queen?

[@AntsVienna]

Probably not. Lately I've only seen 1 Queen at a time. Haven't seen them simultaneously for a while...

[@kujofn.8220]

@@AntsVienna oh damn.

[@englishfishkeeper2007]

All your camponotus colonies in 1 video? And yes I've kept a lot of exotics but they almost like gone. From diacamma regosum to tetraponera. Currently I have a few exotics but not as many as before. Love your channel btw

[@AntsVienna]

Cool that you've tried out so many exotics! Thanks for the support👍

[@creepygallery3303]

Sweet video as always and this colony is looking awesome. I'm currently keeping two types of camponotus ants C. humilior and C. aeneopilosus both are native to where I live.

[@AntsVienna]

To be honest... never heard of these particular species. Do you have a favoriteof the two? What do you like about them? :)

[@creepygallery3303]

@@AntsVienna It's hard to decide between the two because they're both so different. C.humilior are pale orange, secretive and nocturnal. C.aeneopilosus on the other hand are black with a gold gaster, are diurnal and go berserk on mass when disturbed.

[@gordonc2792]

Yes keep camponotus Love the size the colours and the size differences

[@AntsVienna]

What Camponotus species do you keep? :)

[@kristijanveljaca1687]

Though I don't support exporting and importing exotic ants, this is one of the species that I think is great to sell to other countries

[@AntsVienna]

Hello again Kristijan! Yes, I know that exporting/importing ants also has its dark side... However if everything is handled properly the ants arrive safe and sound to their new home(ant keeper), which sometimes gives them even better chances of survival than they would have in the wild. That being said, Camponotus Nicobarensis have been a great experience for me and taught me a lot about exotic ant species.

[@Drpaper1]

I agree with kristijan.

[@ontieponti]

I plan to keep camponotus nicobarensis but i dont have money👍

[@AntsVienna]

Can't go wrong with them😉 I've seen Nicobarensis Queens go for as low as 30 Euro, so I am sure you will get there👍

[@juanc.torres3132]

@@AntsVienna you can get them for 15€…

[@ontieponti]

Thanks❤️💙

[@ontieponti]

Is nicobarensis polygenus

[@AntsVienna]

Yes, Camp. Nicobarensis can have multiple Queens. As a matter of fact, my colony has 2 Queens! You can see them here kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2rXi3iMgK-inNE

[@niklaslarsson4440]

Yeay you upload again 😃 I Love your DIY. It inspired me to try some too 😊

[@AntsVienna]

Hello Niklas! Glad you like my videos - the next one should be ready in a few days😉

[@niklaslarsson4440]

@@AntsVienna That's great news! 😃 Looking forward to see it 😁👍

[@AntsVienna]

Hello again, just in case - here's the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoLVhGeMYpd0npo