My Dream Ants Take 2! My Myrmecocystus Mimicus (Honeypot Ants)

[@TheDragonBloom]

I understand your hesitance to force move a queen with tiny, little eggs. But you can move her eggs with a tiny paint brush. Delicately spin the brush in between your fingers as you slide the brush tip over the eggs. They should release from the acrylic in a single pile. Then reverse the process to put them in the new test tube. Not saying you HAVE to do this just a suggestion from things I've picked up over the years.

[@justantsUSA]

I have found all different honeypots in the backyard and around my property

[@LeeWH.for.the.emperor]

brilliant video mate good luck with the gorgeous queen

[@antshood3324]

Thank you buddy

[@attaenjoyer4092]

These ants thrive at 32c+ make sure your constantly heating them and make sure the walls of the nest have sand. colonies will grow very slowly while queen is a replete but once that stops they can explode.

[@antshood3324]

Hummmmmm I won’t lie, I am reluctant to hear them to such temps.

[@undan8917]

@@antshood3324 I can confirm that these ants thrive at high temps, but if you’re not comfortable with 32 C I would recommend ~29.4 C.

[@attaenjoyer4092]

@@antshood3324 ask any ant keeper that lives in the southern US, they will say they thrive at very high temps.

[@JQEm1]

What I did was use a EA portal out world & in the 2nd test tube add sand & moist it then waited to I had workers & the whole colony move in to the 2nd test tube and once I had 10 workers move into a mini hearth because it has sand material inside the nest the nest from ant boy don’t look like there any sand material but probably could just add some sand inside when you get it . Very much recommend the Tar Heel mini hearth, he having a Black Friday sale on the website if you want to get one for a discount price .

[@antshood3324]

it’s the cost matey. it’s just too expensive. just to shit the mini with museum glass it will cost me $82. then import tax is about 20% which then puts total cost to me at $98 which off the top of my head is £88. that’s a lot of a small nest.

[@JQEm1]

@@antshood3324 yeah that is expensive but wait to Black Friday , Tar Heel alwas put out a big sale for half the price it cost now so maybe yo can get it for half off but yeah very expensive once you start adding upgrade glass then the red glass but I alwas order doing the sale time

[@den_exw_onoma5043]

Beautiful species

[@antshood3324]

i think so!

[@Bradimus1981]

I know I have made a lot of comments, but I remember chatting with you during one of your live streams and you saying how much you want a Myrmecocystus Mimicus colony. So I am just very excited for you.

[@Bradimus1981]

I live in Arizona and I have been told that keeping Myrmecocystus mexicanus can be so very frustrating. lol I think considering where you live and how difficult to it is the get honey pot queen ants, you made the right choice.

[@Gengis400]

I have a pretty successful honeypot colony here in the UK! Sand is super important so the pupae can form their cocoons 😊

[@antshood3324]

Funny enough I was thinking this driving to work this morning as people always said they need sand in the set up. Now no one ever stated it was for the pupea, but I was thinking this morning it much be for that reason. But anyway can you message me on Facebook or Instagram as I would love to pick your brains?

[@Bradimus1981]

Mack at Tar Heel Ants has I believe a few very successful Myrmecoocystus Mimicus colonies if you want to reach out to anyone else.

[@Sassem13]

Wow she is not camera shy , and the excitement in your voice is nice to hear hope it goes well and expect LOTS of video's of you....and her😉

[@antshood3324]

Let’s hope I can keep her alive! They are hard to found in the uk

[@barrycartwright8400]

can you tell me what one to buy for beginner please.

[@largepackage2322]

Hey its been a while I actually have 4 speices honey pot mexicanus,placodops,navajo,mimicus The main thing alot people don't know you must have fine sand in setup

[@antshood3324]

That like in the nest is self?

[@largepackage2322]

@@antshood3324 sorry didn't get the notification yes in nest they need it to for the larva to spin cocoon without sand they do poorly learned that lesson myself just recently its basically a must have

[@warsnail5]

Cant wait for them to get her first workers!

[@antshood3324]

i can’t either. looking forward to it

[@Bradimus1981]

Really? So few people do unboxing videos, so I really enjoy them now.

[@antshood3324]

Yeah, I’ve seen loads

[@baker9718]

Nice video bud 👍, not interested in honey pots but I'm looking forward to watching yours and no doubt you'll end up making me want some 😅.

[@antshood3324]

well wait until the get replits. probably spelt that wrong. if i can get this colony off the ground anyway.

[@Antramblings]

Nice one , was waiting to see who would get the honey pots from ant antics . Very interested to see how you do with them. Looks like you got a really good queen and brood a you would from ant antics .

[@antshood3324]

Yeah she looks like a strong queen

[@Ninuturu]

Didn't notice until the end of the video, but she has spikes on her chin?! It looks so weird! I've never seen something like that! Its almost like an extra pair of antenna / legs huhhh Good luck with her!

[@antshood3324]

some camponotus have them too. noticeable my c parius have them.

[@justantsUSA]

Those are called palps

[@gordonc2792]

Fabulous informative video - would love a colony of this species - cheers and all the best

[@antshood3324]

Thanks buddy!

[@antshood3324]

Thanks buddy!

[@Bradimus1981]

Very cool company, I find it strange that we (in the US) do not have a company like that. lol We have companies who sell ants and formicarium, but that company seems really "put together".

[@antshood3324]

You talking about ant antics?

[@Bradimus1981]

@@antshood3324 Yep

[@tesseragamer5120]

hey hood love the video and also do u have any ideas for moving ant colonys because i had 6 colonys of lasius niger but 3 colonys died because of mold and the others are slowly loosing brood and wont move

[@antshood3324]

Sorry missed this message. There is only one way to move a niger colony. Tape them out of the test tube. It’s not idea but they will not move easily most of the time. One colony it took me over a year to move them out of the test tube, doing it the standard way

[@kbants4063]

Great video mate 👍 hopefully these do well such a great species

[@antshood3324]

Thanks buddy

[@Alex-343]

the J in navajo is pronounced with an H sound

[@Bradimus1981]

When did you get your Myrmecocystus Mimicus queen? Congrats!

[@Bradimus1981]

Never mind, I thought this was an update video. lol

[@antshood3324]

I got her the day I did a quick video

[@PJants]

Great video finger crossed u do well with these one, I see I got u tongue-tied with the PJs effect. Your more then welcome bud you would do the same for me even tho I'm hundreds miles away il always be at the end of the phone giving you support or least the knowing I'm here for you when needed

[@antshood3324]

I appreciate it matey! True friend

[@PJants]

@@antshood3324 totally agree bud

[@administrato]

I have myremerica Navajo and she ate all her brood in her founding stage; her eggs, she is in a test tube with water what should I do?

[@antshood3324]

Did you see the pot I had in my video? They tend to do better in pots at foundation stage. They don’t have to be that big like the one I have. Are you uk.

[@administrato]

@@antshood3324 no I’m in the USA, I guess I’ll try a tube and tube setup then like in your video

[@antshood3324]

That’s only a short term thing. I will likely move them into the tub tomorrow

[@administrato]

@@antshood3324 it worked! I put her in a antscanada digging tower and filled most with Cotton and added substrate on top, I put queen in there and after only 2 days she layed eggs and it’s a big pile!