Moving my Red Harvester Ants into the New Nest

The Harvester ants successfully moved to the new formicarium I made. This video will follow their progression and discuss a little about their biology.

[@josephcruz-trinidad4991]

your formicarium is a work of art just gorgeous!

[@TheAnttarium]

Thank you!

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

Raising a colony from a founding queen takes months to years, it’s so easy to just poison or crush wild ants. But once we have to raise them. We see how hard and long it takes to form such an army ☝️

[@joshuarosenblatt]

Love the new formicarium. I’m planning on getting into the hobby this year and have been looking at tar heel’s site with anticipation. Likely going to do C. pennsylvanicus so likely will be next year before I even think about a hearth :) Enjoyed the video!

[@causticjay]

I really enjoyed the voiceover for this one, would love to see some of your colonies & learn about the different species!

[@TheAnttarium]

Thank you! We have many colonies to make videos on so I just need to decide which one haha. Will also mention new arrivals as they come in.

[@Almighty.God.]

stumble upon your videos trying to start one my own, and your explanations are top notch! and so far loving the website with really affordable prices Nice!

[@amac247]

Great video

[@TheAnttarium]

Thank you!

[@TacticalHandleGaming]

Crazy how many of them were in that hearth.

[@TheAnttarium]

Indeed! They were in serious need of more space.

[@EstheticAnts]

looks great!

[@TheAnttarium]

Thank you!

[@Antssss678]

Agreed

[@Hotshot-qs3uy]

I wish I knew how to make a formicarium like this I wouldn’t even know where to start good job on the new setup

[@californiaantkeeper]

I agree. Tarheel is hands down the best. They get a lot of hate from people that are not willing to pay for quality. I'm amazed how clean the glass was on the hearth. My pogos poop all over the glass so I can't see in.

[@TheAnttarium]

I have been fortunate that my Pogonomyrmex barbatus were well behaved in regards to the glass. The same cannot be said for the Pogonomyrmex rugosus colony haha.

[@HO-zg9qk]

Ants are so interesting!

[@carlwalker5324]

This video is so interesting, and great work with the camera looking forward to the larger nest and out world

[@TheAnttarium]

Thank you! I’ll be making a similar nest soon with full DIY instructions intended for another species of harvester ant

[@scp1470]

Beautiful nest

[@TheAnttarium]

Thank you!

[@4theNines]

Great video! You gained a new subscriber. Being from Texas, do you keep Solenopsis invicta colonies? I would like to see your setups for them. Keep up the great work. I’m going to binge watch your older videos. 😉

[@TheAnttarium]

Thank you! I greatly appreciate that. I tried to keep Solenopsis invicta in the past however the problem is their populations grow too quickly. I may try again in the future with custom made formicariums.

[@mnx1709]

Huge nest.

[@milehighants1257]

please post another vid! i love ur videos!!!

[@TheAnttarium]

Working on it!

[@mf_ant6642]

very good my friend

[@TheAnttarium]

Thank you!

[@user-wu7qg8xo2u]

My ants i collected from national park have no place else to go except were i stationed them in big pot plant ...in city fier escape.....they are always busy!...

[@andrewcollins2604]

Thanks for this video. What temperature do you keep your harvester colony at?

[@TheAnttarium]

My room tends to be close to 80 degrees during the day and drops to low 70s at night

[@NorthernANTs]

Great video, I subscribed, I also use 100% Tar Heel Ants for my Antkeeping videos also.

[@NathansWildLife]

Can you make another exactly like that because I would be interested in one in the next 2 years

[@Antymatters]

Great video and colony. Wish tar heel ants wasn't across the Atlantic from me.

[@TheAnttarium]

Thanks! I can only imagine what shipping would cost. Would be great if TarHeel could have nest building operations internationally. Not really sure if that’s doable though.

[@antsthatexist3947]

Wow! They look so good in there! What type of plaster did you use for that nest?

[@TheAnttarium]

It is not a plaster. This is a Gypsum cement known as Ultrcal30. Really good material for nest making!

[@vikkstar295]

@@TheAnttarium dude that’s awesome, I’m On my way to the store to buy that stuff!’

[@rubenmartens2348]

@@vikkstar295 y-tong is lots cheaper and wil work realy good to !

[@TheDragonBloom]

Gorgeous gals! Subbed.

[@TheAnttarium]

Thank you!

[@TheDragonBloom]

@@TheAnttarium You're welcome!

[@adrianfelix4966]

What size labyrinth is this? Beautiful colony man!!

[@lordvash9]

Hey! Fellow Texan here! I'm glad I found a Texan who keeps ants! And the harvester ants at that. I have 8 natural colonies in my horse pastures but I always have problems finding a egg laying queen, everyone I dig up never lays eggs in the test tubs. I'm basically doing the same set up as ants Canada too. Any tips?

[@TheAnttarium]

Harvester ant queens are typically easy to find right after a flight as they begin digging their claustral chamber. Not sure why they aren’t laying for you though. Just make sure they have good moisture and sand if in a test tube setup. Once they get going they should be fine so long as they are kept warm, have seeds, and get good humidity inside the nest

[@lordvash9]

@@TheAnttarium I'm going to give it another go this spring

[@AntsFlagstaff]

Nice! Just got another queen of pogonomyrmex barbatus this year last colony died, Left for a week to Colorado and they died. So just got a new queen hoping it work... I keep other pogonomyrmex species, P. occidentalis, P. rugosus.... Nice video!!!

[@TheAnttarium]

Sorry to hear on the loss. There will be plenty more out there! I also have a P. rugosis colony to make a new nest for soon.

[@AntsFlagstaff]

@@TheAnttarium Oh ya definitely. Nice! I am trying to get all pogonomyrmex species in AZ so that'd be a fun project with my university!

[@elreybarbatus5669]

Buen video amigo, 👍 está muy bonita tu colonia, que edad tiene la colonia? Saludos 😁

[@TheAnttarium]

¡Gracias! Esta colonia tiene 2 años, casi dura 3 años.

[@henrymackey6313]

Hey, I was wondering how humid should the formicarium be for this species?

[@joeberraco5883]

How do you prevent the ants from escaping?

[@eddiemoura8809]

Great video where did you find the out world

[@TheAnttarium]

The outworld is a large display case for model cars that can be found at Hobby Lobby.

[@Sevenboy127gmail]

Wat do u do with old setups? Like what are doing with this 1 since ur giving rhem a new place can they be reused?

[@lougus7076]

What kind of grass seed do you give them

[@TheAnttarium]

I give them Kentucky blue grass seeds. TarHeel Ants will sell them in baggies. It may not look like a lot but that one bag has lasted me almost 2 years now. Just over halfway used.

[@nathant7437]

What's the dimensions of this Fornicarium and is this what you made or what you got Tar Heel Ants to custom make for you?

[@Zilxxxxxx]

do you have any tips for a messor babrus colony? ive just got my queen and she has 4 workers

[@sparthucket]

Poggernomyrmex barbatus

[@cozmikpcs7708]

Where did you get the water towers? If you made them what did you use etc?

[@TheAnttarium]

You make the water towers with plastic tea candle holders and steel mesh. Easiest way to fuse them is to put the metal mesh on a heated pan, then press the open end of the cup into the mesh. It will slightly melt the plastic into the mesh. Pull it away and let it dry.

[@cozmikpcs7708]

@@TheAnttarium awesome thank you I'll have to order the bits I need

[@chiverslandsurveyor]

where/how did you get your Harvester Queen?

[@TheAnttarium]

From another antkeeper a few years ago. You can collect them just after nuptial flights when they are digging their claustral chamber.

[@ivankool7723]

what ant nest is that!?

[@finnsphotos8922]

did you cach this colonys queen or buy them, because I want this sp but idk how to get em

[@TheAnttarium]

I received the queen from a friend a few years ago. Pogonomyrmex barbatus is abundant in the state of Texas. Very large nuptial flights in spring and summer:

[@finnsphotos8922]

@@TheAnttarium do you know if they are in houston

[@TheAnttarium]

@@finnsphotos8922 Yes they are. Look at the distribution map on AntWiki for Pogonomyrmex barbatus.

[@aaronp4455]

How much would you be willing to sale a nest like this if l wanted one from you?

[@TheAnttarium]

Presently I do not make these nests to be sold. It is something I will consider in the future.

[@finnsphotos8922]

idk how i posted 3 of those comments sorry

[@Eby-Baby-Yagy]

Плохо что вы не по русски говорите( плохо знаю английский... По этому и разбираться плохо(

[@TheAnttarium]

К сожалению, я знаю только английский и довольно много немецкого. Разве KZbin не создает скрытые субтитры для каждого языка?

[@Eby-Baby-Yagy]

@@TheAnttarium создаёт) у вас хорошие видео) просто читать это одно, а воспринимать на слух это другое).

[@Eby-Baby-Yagy]

@@TheAnttarium не так написал, субтитры не создаёт для разных языков, вот вы говорите на английском, субтитры английские и есть. А русских нет. Комментарии можно только на русский переводить(

[@Jarial7]

I was enjoying that till you put the live food in gross and cruel to me anyway it may be life but I don't want to watch other creatures slowly eaten alive in agony

[@finnsphotos8922]

did you cach this colonys queen or buy them, because I want this sp but idk how to get em

[@finnsphotos8922]

did you cach this colonys queen or buy them, because I want this sp but idk how to get em