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T.C.'s Camponotus novaeboracensis Journal


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#1 Offline T.C. - Posted July 3 2017 - 3:01 PM

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Queen caught on July 1st 2017 around midnight on a backroad in Western Wisconsin. Laid eggs within 24 hours.

 

Information on the species.

 

Scientific Name: Camponotus novaeboracensis

Common Name: Carpenter ant

Distribution: Primarily found in the United States and Canada.

Queen size: 14-18 mm

Worker size: 7-16 mm, with a caste system involving Majors and Minors

Natural Habitat: Found in moist wood, like dead fall, lumber, and old houses. Also known to be nest under rocks in rocky locations.

Circadian Activity: Mostly nocturnal, but will still forage in the day.

Mating Flight: The major flights occur in May and June, with scattered flights during July and August. Ideal conditions are a day after rain, warm and humid. Mid-day to afternoon. But they are also known to fly in periods with no rain.

Queen Founding Method: Fully Claustral

Monogyne or Polygyne: Monogyne (Although some occurrences of polygyne colonies have been recorded)

Average time from egg to worker: Egg to larva - 20-30 days; larva to pupa - 10-15 days; Pupa to worker - 18-25 days. Time may vary with the temperature.

Recommended Temperature: 75-80°F (24-27°C)

Recommended Humidity:  Mid humidity level of  30-50%.  20% and lower is known to cause deformities in pupae.

Preferred Foods: Honey water, sugar, apples, pears, oranges, mealworm/super worms, June beetles, isopods, earwigs, crickets, grasshoppers.  Most sugary foods and insects are readily accepted.

Hibernation Details:  In the wild temperatures below freezing are common, even up to -40C/F.  In captivity it is advised to stay above the freezing point as we are unable to easily duplicate the slow cool down into freezing temps to allow the anti-freeze in their blood to work properly.  Hibernation is recommended between 39F (4C) - 50F (10C).

Escape Barrier Methods: Fluon and talcum powder method work best.  They are also unable to talk upside down on olive oil on a smooth surface.

 

Difficulty rating: Very easy to keep.

Bite and/or Sting rating: They can bite and the majors or queens are even capable breaking the skin.  They are also known to dab droplets of formic acid from their gaster into the wound causing a slight stinging sensation. 

Special Care or Interesting Notes: They prefer warmth and plentiful food sources.

Additional Links:

Antwiki - http://www.antwiki.o...novaeboracensis

Antweb - https://www.antweb.o...ntryName=Canada

 

Description: The red carpenter ant (Camponotus novaeboracensis) has a dark reddish brown colored thorax and petiole, with a black head and black gaster.  Newly eclosed ants will have yellow or orange thoraxes that slowly darken into a deep red over a period of days to weeks.


Edited by T.C., March 30 2018 - 4:48 PM.

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" Whatever You Are, Be a Good One "


#2 Offline T.C. - Posted August 12 2017 - 3:04 PM

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]





 

 UPDATE:



Things were going really well, for her. Had some nice larva and a few cocoons. But theN something happened. :(

She got brood boosted big time! I took some cocoons from a wild colony. The cocoons came from a log that was split up ready to be burned, so I took a bunch of their cocoons for my colonies. The tree base the wild colony was living in was cut down into many pieces that got shipped everywhere, so this colony no longer had a queen, which also means no future
for them unfortunately. However the workers that are soon to emerge from these cocoons will have a different story. You can see the Nanitic cocoons on the bottom. Crazy how small they are compared to the large soldiers.



Edited by T.C., May 16 2018 - 7:29 AM.

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#3 Offline FeedTheAnts - Posted August 12 2017 - 4:19 PM

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I love the orange color to the larvae and eggs, is that just a thing with Camponotus?

Also, how did you make that wooden nest she's in, I would like to do something like that with my colony.


Edited by TennesseeAnts, August 12 2017 - 4:21 PM.

I accidentally froze all my ants 


#4 Offline T.C. - Posted August 12 2017 - 4:50 PM

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I love the orange color to the larvae and eggs, is that just a thing with Camponotus?
Also, how did you make that wooden nest she's in, I would like to do something like that with my colony.


They are throw together nests. Nothing pretty and only temporary. Eventually they will chew through it. However I found camponotous do better in wooden setups and they work well for founding. I'm also able to manage humidity in these ones. I'll send you a free one if you pay for shipping.

" Whatever You Are, Be a Good One "


#5 Offline FeedTheAnts - Posted August 13 2017 - 6:36 AM

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I love the orange color to the larvae and eggs, is that just a thing with Camponotus?
Also, how did you make that wooden nest she's in, I would like to do something like that with my colony.


They are throw together nests. Nothing pretty and only temporary. Eventually they will chew through it. However I found camponotous do better in wooden setups and they work well for founding. I'm also able to manage humidity in these ones. I'll send you a free one if you pay for shipping.

 

Thanks, but if I decided to keep my ants in a wooden nest then I would like to make it myself. The project it self seems just as cool as the nest.

All I would like to ask is where you got the wood, will any untreated wood from lowes do.


Edited by TennesseeAnts, August 13 2017 - 6:38 AM.

I accidentally froze all my ants 


#6 Offline T.C. - Posted September 5 2017 - 9:23 AM

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Late Update 9/5/17

 

Heres a late update. Plenty of workers eclosed, both the brood boosted majors and the nanitics. Funny the size difference between them.  :blush:  The brood is under the pile of ants. Quite a bit of it too. The queen is much larger and is a egg laying machine, she hasn't stopped yet.  :thinking:  This colony is also very active. The majors take down full size crickets with no problem. Of all, I was surprised to find the nanitics are the hardest workers with the most energy.

 

 

This colony is ahead of all of my other camponotous noveboracensis colonies. Like this one who only has one worker. These guys poked out for a drop of honey/syrup mix. :X and look at those beautiful colors!  (y) 

 


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#7 Offline T.C. - Posted September 9 2017 - 1:24 PM

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They're getting fat. Probably in preparation for hibernation. They drink syrup non-stop, and ate two medium sized crickets as well as a spider this week.




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#8 Offline FeedTheAnts - Posted September 9 2017 - 5:47 PM

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Wow, they are beautiful!


Edited by TennesseeAnts, September 9 2017 - 5:48 PM.

I accidentally froze all my ants 


#9 Offline T.C. - Posted October 7 2017 - 8:30 PM

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UPDATE: 10/7/17

 

They are beginning to take on that darker red color now. And man are they eating alot which the pictures show. They haven't refused or wasted anything yet. Crickets, flies, spiders, syrup, honey, etc.

 

 

 


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#10 Offline Ants_Texas - Posted October 8 2017 - 6:35 AM

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I love this species' color. I also really like your founding chambers in wood.



#11 Offline Aaron567 - Posted October 8 2017 - 12:02 PM

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This is a very nice colony!


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#12 Offline T.C. - Posted October 8 2017 - 12:52 PM

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I love this species' color. I also really like your founding chambers in wood.


Yeah, but things are beginning to get cramped. I figure move them after hibernation.
 

This is a very nice colony!

Thanks.


Edited by T.C., February 6 2018 - 11:12 AM.

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#13 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted October 8 2017 - 12:56 PM

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I tried brood boosting a C castaneus colony but the workers killed the queen...
I tried brood boosting a C castaneus colony but the workers killed the queen...

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 


#14 Offline FeedTheAnts - Posted October 8 2017 - 1:21 PM

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I tried brood boosting a C castaneus colony but the workers killed the queen...
I tried brood boosting a C castaneus colony but the workers killed the queen...

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, was wondering what happened to the colony(you had a journal).


I accidentally froze all my ants 


#15 Offline T.C. - Posted October 8 2017 - 1:26 PM

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I tried brood boosting a C castaneus colony but the workers killed the queen...I tried brood boosting a C castaneus colony but the workers killed the queen...


You sure it was the same species?

" Whatever You Are, Be a Good One "


#16 Offline Darkchieftain - Posted October 16 2017 - 10:48 AM

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So how are they doing now? hibernating yet?



#17 Offline T.C. - Posted October 16 2017 - 11:39 AM

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I'll start hibernation November, 1st.


Edited by T.C., October 31 2017 - 10:22 AM.

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#18 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted October 18 2017 - 12:25 PM

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Yeah they were all C. Castaneus. They cohabitated for a few months but one day I found the corpse twitching, a sign of formic acid poisoning.

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 


#19 Offline Yossarian - Posted October 18 2017 - 5:05 PM

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I love the idea.  Do you you use plywood and do you have any mold issues?



#20 Offline T.C. - Posted October 18 2017 - 5:33 PM

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Thanks :)

I'm using some board, not plywood. It was a cut up piece from some wooden project I was working on.No mold issues so far.

" Whatever You Are, Be a Good One "





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