72 replies to this topic

[Acutus]

I love C. chromaiodes. Their majors can get huge! Since I have been feeding my large colony more protein, some HUGE majors have eclosed! One of the largest is 14 millimeters! Your colony's queen is of the rarer red version. Mine is black with red legs.

 

Yeah these guys are bad [censored]! I feed mine protein almost everyday and there is going to be such a population boost soon!

 

Good to know about the Queen. I think she's awesome. Her name is Avyanna. I didn't know about the more red thing cause she's the only chromaiodes queen I've seen!

[TennesseeAnts]

Some of these queens are rare, with lots of red all over them, while most are black with a little bit of red on the legs. You got lucky!

[Acutus]

Ok so I have some concerns or maybe I'm just over thinking things you guys let me know.

For awhile it seems like most of the workers are staying in the Out World, I think a lot have had a bit of a die off too. There is however a TON of Brood! 

Could it be the workers don't feel like they have room in the nest due to the quantity of Brood? Should I add another Nest section? I think there is room for everyone in the 1 section.

 

See attached video.

 

 

Also noticed this weird behavior at one of the water stations. Could they be trying to get somewhere and make the nest larger? I've already had to change the cotton here because they had pulled so much they were in danger of flooding.

 

 

Thoughts?????

[TennesseeAnts]

Based on my experience I would say they have enough room for a couple of months. For the cotton pulling, it is completely normal. They are probably trying to get substrate for their larvae.

[Acutus]

Ok so no pics but the Colony seems to be doing very well! Brood is progressing nicely and there a tons of Pupae. Some very large! I hope to see some of them eclosing. The colony continues to eat every form of food I can put in there! Beetle Grubs, May beetles, wood roaches, meal worms, wax worms, termites, and any other insect are all readily attacked and eaten! Honey continues to be their source for carbs.

As much as half the workers of all forms are in the Out World at all times with the rest helping to tend brood. they really pull on the cotton in the water tubes though. They generally take it and drag it into the nest. Could this be to boost humidity?

 

It really seems to me they are trying to make the nest strictly a brood chamber. I may try adding and additional nest just to see what happens. Any thoughts?

[Acutus]

Well fed them again today.  Honey and I gave them a ripe Mulberry that had fallen from a tree. They seemed to like it. I also threw in 5 beetle larvae which were attacked before they hit the ground. LOL! Here's some pics there is Brood EVERYWHERE!!!

 

 

Here's the Queen!

 

 

 

 

 

[ANTdrew]

Serviceberries are ripe, too, now. They may like those.

[CatsnAnts]

Wow, this colony looks amazing!

[Acutus]

Serviceberries are ripe, too, now. They may like those.

I actually had to look that up. Never seen them before. The Tree looks familiar but I've never noticed the berries. Gonna have to look for some,

 

Wow, this colony looks amazing!

Thank you!

[Acutus]

Not much to report except it seems every time I check there's more eggs and Brood! I'm anxiously waiting to see my first new ant eclose. There are so many Pupae!! 

 

They eat literally Everything!! I'm getting ready to order a new Out World for the colony so I can remove and clean the current Out World. I may also offer a new Nest area but I'll leave that part up to the ants!

[Acutus]

So can anyone tell me what this is? I thought it was a trash pile bu they never move it. It doesn't appear to be molding. I know thay have added pulled cotton to it. Could this be their way of controlling humidity?

Any Ideas?

 

 

Here's an over all view the amount of Brood amazes me. I check everyday to see if any of the Pupae open but so far I haven't seen it.

 

[Kaelwizard]

It could be their poop.

[Acutus]

It could be their poop.

 
Well I did a little searching!
This is an article I found.

 

Where's the poop? Ants keep a tidy indoor toilet, scientists find

https://www.latimes....0218-story.html

Edited by Acutus, June 8 2019 - 4:56 PM.

[dermy]

I think it's just trash that will eventually be taken out when all those cocoons eclose into new workers in a few weeks. I always find the pupae stage of Camponotus to be pretty long.

 

Also nice Journal The pictures are really amazing same with the video footage!

Edited by dermy, June 8 2019 - 10:30 PM.

[Acutus]

I think it's just trash that will eventually be taken out when all those cocoons eclose into new workers in a few weeks. I always find the pupae stage of Camponotus to be pretty long.

 

Also nice Journal The pictures are really amazing same with the video footage!

 

Thank you! Yeah, I'm finding this Pupae stage almost unbearable! LOL!

[Acutus]

HUGE UPDATE!!!! 6/23/2019

 

Been really busy at work as it's the start of Summer Camp Season. So today one of our biggest camps is setting up and they call be to remove (meaning Kill) a huge "Pile" of big black ants that are in our shed!!!

So I get up there and see they were definitely Carpenter Ants and they have made a nest in a pile of 2x2's the camp uses for Tent poles!! There are seriously like 75-80 of these 2x2's.

I go get my ant gear, which did not include insecticide, and a flashlight and get to work! Tuerns out they are C. chromaiodes!!

​One by one I'm moving the wood and when I get to a group of ants they get vacuumed up and dumped in a small tote. I'm seeing huge amounts of Brood but I'm being really careful to look for the queen.

Well I get down to 4 2x2's and I'm thinking watch it be a Damn satellite nest and on the next piece, BOOM!, I see the Queen and get her!! So now that I got her I spend some time getting the rest of the brood and workers.

Here's what I ended up with:

 

 

 

So now I gotta get them in a Formicarium. Luckily I have an AC Hybrid Camponotus nest ready to go!! So I dump the Workers and Brood into the Out World then gently release the Queen into same!

 

 

 

 

10 minutes later

 

 

 

An hour and a half after dump.

 

 

 

So now I got 2 huge colonies of C. chromaiodes!!!!       

 

 

 

 

[NickAnter]

This is a perfect example of when to collect an established colony. Good job and congrats!!!!!

Edited by NickAnter, June 23 2019 - 4:15 PM.

[CatsnAnts]

Wow, awesome! that’s a lot of brood

[TennesseeAnts]

Omg dude... That is a ton of brood....

[ANTdrew]

Wow! Nice work on the rescue. That’s like instant gratification