97 replies to this topic

[Ferox_Formicae]

Let the colony scent dissipate for two weeks. Introduce the new queen while the colony is chilled.

Okay, I'll try that. I'll take care of the queen until then. In the mean time, I may go back and look through those other logs. I won't bring them home this time though.

[Ferox_Formicae]

This colony is the most aggressive I have ever owned! I stick one finger in their formicarium, and they're all over my hand in seconds! I put a living crane fly in with them, and it's dead in 20 seconds! I lightly breath on them and they're clicking their jaws against the floor of the bucket and curling their abdomens up under them. I so much as look at them a little too close and they look up at me, curl their abdomens forwards, and shoot a stream of formic acid at my face! I thought only Formica did that! They downed en entire medicine bottle top full of sugar water in a few hours. I absolutely adore these ants!

[TennesseeAnts]

Mine do that too. Most large Camponotus colonies are extremely aggressive. Mine shoot Formica acid streams too! I was really surprised by that.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Mine do that too. Most large Camponotus colonies are extremely aggressive. Mine shoot Formica acid streams too! I was really surprised by that.

Yeah. I kept telling my 13 year old sister to keep my 3 year old sister away from them because she kept sticking her face directly into the container with them, her hair dangling in. I really didn't want her around such aggressive ants!

[David19]

I caught a total of 17 camponotus queens this year! So far all of them are doing great!

[Ferox_Formicae]

I caught a total of 17 camponotus queens this year! So far all of them are doing great!

Jeez! I currently have 11 queens, and nuptial flights are just beginning!

[TennesseeAnts]

I beat all of you! I caught 42!

[Ferox_Formicae]

I beat all of you! I caught 42!

HOLY H*CK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TennesseeAnts]

And 34 pennslyvanicus.
And 7 americanus.

[Ferox_Formicae]

And 34 pennslyvanicus.
And 7 americanus.

I've only seen C. americanus workers so far.

[David19]

And 34 pennslyvanicus.
And 7 americanus.

Dang! That's awesome! 

[Ferox_Formicae]

I've bee on the lookout for Camponotus americanus queens or even some more colonies, but I haven't found any. I may go to my park today to look for some in the area I found them last. I would absolutely love to raise a colony of them! There's only one native Camponotus I'd love to raise more though, Camponotus socius!

[Ferox_Formicae]

Today, two of my newest queen's eggs have hatched! I'm not sure when those eggs were laid, as I found her with the eggs, but I'm guessing they're a few weeks old. Around three or four maybe. This is the first time I've had a founding Camponotus queen hatch eggs, or come to think of it, it's the first time I've had a Camponotus founding queen even lay eggs! 

 

*EDIT* The so-called larva were actually just eggs, just lighter in color. They looked different from a certain angle. 

Edited by CloudtheDinosaurKing, May 4 2019 - 6:59 PM.

[ANTdrew]

Excellent! A second one of the queens I found laid eggs - one of the winged ones actually.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Excellent! A second one of the queens I found laid eggs - one of the winged ones actually.

That's good! 

[Ferox_Formicae]

I checked on the queens, and all of them have eggs! I'll just have to hope that they don't turn into drones. All of the queens had removed their wings prior to capture, so I'm guessing they're fertile, but I'll have to see...

[Ferox_Formicae]

I'm getting ready to introduce a queen to the colony, but first, I have to figure out how in the world to chill them! They are currently housed in a very large Tupperware bin with is far too large to fit in my refrigerator. I don't really have anything to chill them in. I'm also wondering which one of my queens I should introduce to the colony. I have 5 of them, and all of them are founding queens, so I'm thinking that the first growth will be slow until the queen starts laying more eggs.

Edited by CloudtheDinosaurKing, May 7 2019 - 3:33 AM.

[TennesseeAnts]

Actually, she should start laying eggs as much as she is fed, just like a queen with a huge amount of biological workers.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Actually, she should start laying eggs as much as she is fed, just like a queen with a huge amount of biological workers.

Ah, okay. I was wondering if that would be the case.

[TennesseeAnts]

Founding queens only have such small brood because she has a small amount of fat stores to feed herself and her developing workers. I feed my founding queens. That is why my founding colonies have larger brood and more workers at the end of the year than a wild colony, or a queen that was just ignored.