145 replies to this topic

[TennesseeAnts]

They don't need much. I find that hydrating once a week is good.

[Canadant]

https://www.amazon.c...y case &sr=8-26
The plastic box I ordered to fashion their terrarium arrived. I like the size of it and the tight fitting lid. I think this could be useful for a lot of ant keeping applications.

These look amazing. Cheap too.

[ANTdrew]

Well, my wife went psycho mode on me last night after our resident Tapinoma ants figured out how to walk OVER WATER to get to the liquid feeder in my castanarium. I’m no longer a part of Team Castaneus as a result...
This journal will be solely chromaiodes until I can sell them off too.

Edited by ANTdrew, July 19 2019 - 7:14 AM.

[CatsnAnts]

Well, my wife went psycho b***h mode on me last night after our resident Tapinoma ants figured out how to walk OVER WATER to get to the liquid feeder in my castanarium. I’m no longer a part of Team Castaneus as a result...
This journal will be solely chromaiodes until I can sell them off too.

Aww, that’s sad.

[TennesseeAnts]

I was actually about to tell you, I found out Tapinoma sessile can walk OVER water. I was going to suggest you put fluon around the outside walls of the tank to keep them out. Sorry.

[ANTdrew]

Fluon on horizontal surfaces means nothing to Tapinoma.

[TennesseeAnts]

Fluon on horizontal surfaces means nothing to Tapinoma.

Oh. That explains how my colony escaped....

[ANTdrew]

My moat worked when it was 50% vinegar. I forgot the vinegar, hence psycho episode. I despise this species now with cruel hatred. I went against all my principles and put out the gel baits they take to kill the queen. I’m just sick of these ants threatening my entire hobby.

Edited by ANTdrew, July 19 2019 - 7:14 AM.

[TennesseeAnts]

Wait, they killed the castaneus?! This means war... Oh, and the Tapinoma colony you are trying to kill, well, they are essentially immortal. They mate in the nest, have hundreds or thousands of different interconnected nests, each containing possibly millions of workers and thousands of queens.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, July 18 2019 - 9:53 AM.

[ANTdrew]

No, they didn’t kill them. I just can’t keep them out of the terrarium.

[TennesseeAnts]

Where are the castaneus then?

[ANTdrew]

I put their terrarium under a patio in my parents’ yard. Don’t crucify me, but I’ve chosen to release them.

[TennesseeAnts]

Aww. Why? They were so cool...

[ANTdrew]

Deleted

Edited by ANTdrew, July 19 2019 - 7:13 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Update 7-31-2019

The C. castaneus queen my brother rescued from a busy street in downtown D.C. just got her first workers! I find it incredible that she made it this far considering that she was very likely to become road pizza under somebody's tires had my brother not picked her up. It took about exactly two months for her to get nanitics.

 

I'm going to be selling this colony to another new VA ant keeper on here. I know she will be in great hands.

Edited by ANTdrew, July 31 2019 - 10:14 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Update 8-1-2019
I gave up on my crap Mcguiver firebrick nest after my C. chromaiodes vacated it due to over hydration on my part. They are in a test tube now, and I have a new mini-hearth ready to go for them. They went nuts for a termite feast I gave them last night.

[Acutus]

Wow! Don't know how I missed all this but I'm caught up now! I was thinking of doing a Firebrick formicarium as well. My hydration idea was to set it in a shallow pan that I could add water to. Was thinking the brick would slowly absorb the water in the bottom and wick up. Never tried it out though. The other way I thought was to just make nest mate type tubes and allow that to be the hydration. It doesn't really seem to me that these Camponotus need a ton of humidity.

[ANTdrew]

Yeah, they really don’t. Mine freaked out whenever I hydrated their nest. If I were to make one again, I would design a water tower like THA for more consistent moisture.

[ANTdrew]

Update 8-20-2019

I'm down to one C. chromaiodes colony at the moment. I named this queen Idunn, and she is one of my original Holy Thursday queens. Interestingly, she still has her wings. I hooked up their test tube to a mini-hearth a week ago, and they moved in right away. They seem to be doing well in it, and they are feeding readily as I'm trying to provide a good variety of protein sources. The worker count is up to 23 with quite a nice pile of brood.

[ANTdrew]

Update 9-11-2019

 Well, I sold my last Camponotus colony to a new aspiring ant keeper yesterday. They were doing quite well with over twenty workers and lots of pupae about to eclose. If they make it through hibernation, I think they will have a big year next year.

 It left me kind of sad, but I guess I needed the money. I will definitely try to find more of these come April/ May.

 

Here are my last shots of the girls I named Idunn