Ant Advocate

Banded Sugar Ant (Camponotus consobrinus) – The Ultimate Care Guide

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Scientific Name: Camponotus consobrinusCommon Name: Banded Sugar AntSize: Workers 5–15mm | Queen ~17mm | Males ~10mmLifespan: Queens ~10+ years, Workers ~6 months to 1 yearColony Type: Monogynous (Single Queen)Foraging Activity: NocturnalNatural Habitat: Forests, woodlands, grasslands, and suburban areas across AustraliaNuptial Flight Season: Spring to early summer (October–December)Hibernation: Yes, enters dormancy during cooler months (May–August)Founding Type: […]

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Understanding Ant Colony Growth Stages: From Queen to Thriving Colony

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Ant keeping is a game of patience. Colonies don’t explode overnight, and understanding how they grow will help you manage their needs at every stage. In this guide, we’ll break down the four key growth stages of an ant colony:✅ Founding Stage – The queen’s solo survival phase.✅ Nanitic Stage – The first workers emerge

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10 Common Mistakes Beginner Ant Keepers Make (And How to Avoid Them)

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So, you’ve started ant keeping—congrats! You’ve entered a world where watching tiny insects carry crumbs becomes the highlight of your day. But like any hobby, beginner mistakes happen. Some mistakes are harmless (ants are tougher than they look), while others can lead to disaster (accidentally drowning your queen isn’t a fun experience). To help you

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Preventing Mites: How to Keep Your Ants Safe from Infestations

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Ant keeping is an exciting and rewarding hobby—until you notice tiny, unwanted intruders crawling around your colony. Mites and other pests can be a nightmare for ant keepers, sometimes leading to colony stress, reduced growth, or even death. Preventing mites and keeping your ants safe from mites is crucial for a thriving colony. This guide

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The Ultimate Ant Feeding Guide: What, When & How to Feed Your Colony

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Feeding your ants correctly is one of the most important parts of successful ant keeping. Too little food? The colony will struggle to grow. Too much? You’ll end up with mouldy messes and unwanted pests (ever seen an ant-sized fruit fly invasion? Not fun). This guide covers everything you need to know about feeding your

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Best Australian Ant Species for Beginners

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Starting your ant-keeping journey but not sure which species to pick? Not all ants are created equal—some are hardy, easy to care for, and thrive in captivity, while others require specialized setups and advanced care. If you’re a beginner, you’ll want an active, adaptable species that’s easy to feed, doesn’t require extreme humidity control, and

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Moving Your Queen Ant from the Founding Stage to a Formicarium: A Step-by-Step Guide

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So, your queen has successfully raised her first generation of workers, and the colony is growing—congratulations! 🎉 Now comes a major milestone in ant-keeping: moving the colony from its test tube into a formicarium (ant nest). This transition needs to be timed correctly and done carefully to avoid stressing your ants. In this guide, we’ll

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The Perfect Test Tube Setup for Queen Ants: A Step-by-Step Guide

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So, you’ve caught a queen ant—great! Now, she needs a place to settle down and start her empire. In the ant-keeping world, a test tube setup is the go-to method for housing a queen during her founding stage. It’s simple, effective, and mimics the humid, enclosed spaces queens would naturally seek out in the wild.

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