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Aaron's Camponotus zonatus Journal (Updated 6/27/21)


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#41 Offline Aaron567 - Posted May 10 2021 - 3:24 PM

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May 10, 2021

 

They have now surpassed 2,455 workers. Yesterday I attached their 4th nest unit. For the last few weeks they've been hanging out in the outworld in a very unusual manner, even with plenty of room in a couple of the nests. I was suggested by a more knowledgeable person that it could be due to a lack of oxygen in the nests, which would make perfect sense because there is practically no ventilation. I was finally able to detach the old fortress outworld after evicting the several dozen workers that sat around in it. Then I moved the newer outworld's port to the opposite side of the nest, where the fortress outworld used to be attached, and connected the 4th nest unit to the left side. The new nest has an extra port hole purely for ventilation, so I used some mesh and made something similar to a Tar Heel Ants nestmate to attach to it. I did the same for the expansion port hole that is on the new unit's left side, so that will also serve as a ventilation port until a 5th nest unit is attached.

 

I've been less involved with my ants in the last few weeks so this colony, like the rest of my colonies, have not been at their maximum productivity. In addition to this, I realized yesterday that the heat cable on the zonatus wasn't even plugged in for several weeks, so they haven't been able to benefit from the toasty temperatures they normally love.

 

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#42 Offline NickAnter - Posted May 10 2021 - 4:05 PM

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Absolutely amazing!!


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 


#43 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 12 2021 - 10:41 AM

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How do you keep that outworld so clean with so many workers in it???


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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#44 Offline PetsNotPests - Posted May 12 2021 - 1:07 PM

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That is a truly unique species of ant. Absolutely stunning. 


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Ants are Pets, not Pests. 

 

-Camponotus sansabeanus

-Camponotus US-CA02

-Camponotus vicinus

-Formica podzolica

-Monomorium spp.

-Pogonomyrmex californicus

-Solenopsis spp. 

 


#45 Offline PetsNotPests - Posted May 12 2021 - 1:10 PM

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How do you keep that outworld so clean with so many workers in it???

Right!?!?!? Plus, its white! I wish mine stayed that clean...


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Ants are Pets, not Pests. 

 

-Camponotus sansabeanus

-Camponotus US-CA02

-Camponotus vicinus

-Formica podzolica

-Monomorium spp.

-Pogonomyrmex californicus

-Solenopsis spp. 

 


#46 Offline Aaron567 - Posted May 12 2021 - 7:03 PM

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How do you keep that outworld so clean with so many workers in it???

 

They put all their trash and waste on only one side of the outworld and leave the other side pretty much spotless.

 

Right before taking the photos in this update I cleaned the entire trash pile out of the outworld. It was like a pile of spongey mush made out of cocoon shreds, pieces of roach, and feces. They were beginning to dig tunnels in it. That big dark area on the left portion of the outworld is where it was.


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#47 Offline Aaron567 - Posted June 27 2021 - 12:33 PM

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June 27, 2021

 

This colony has now surpassed 3,175 workers, just before turning 1 year old. I consider their birthday to be July 8, the day the first worker eclosed.

 

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In the last few weeks there have been a few security breaches where the mesh on the ventilation tubing kept coming loose from the workers constantly chewing on it, and it led to some escape events. It was never very many workers though, maybe 30-40 at most that I had to recapture. This happened a couple weeks ago and I noticed it happening yesterday. I clearly need to find a better way to adhere the mesh to the tubing. There are two outworlds now, with the second one connected by a few feet of tubing that runs across the wall. They'd probably love even more foraging space, because each outworld usually has 400+ workers in it. With more frequent feedings I have seen an increase in brood production and the newest nest unit I attached is mostly full, so I will need to make another nest unit very soon.

 

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See if you can spot the queen in this photo.

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#48 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted June 27 2021 - 1:30 PM

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i found her faster than i thought i would lol


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1X Pogonomyrmex occidentalis 40-50 Workers

1X Solenopsis molesta 10 Workers (mono)

Ants I Want: Crematogaster sp, Camponotus Sp., Ponera Pennsylvanica, Mymercocystus sp.

 

My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube....kUjx-dPFMyVqOLw

 

 Join Our Fledgling Discord Server https://discord.com/...089056687423489


#49 Offline PetsNotPests - Posted June 27 2021 - 1:48 PM

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Found her! 


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Ants are Pets, not Pests. 

 

-Camponotus sansabeanus

-Camponotus US-CA02

-Camponotus vicinus

-Formica podzolica

-Monomorium spp.

-Pogonomyrmex californicus

-Solenopsis spp. 

 


#50 Offline Bobby_Hill - Posted August 28 2021 - 9:25 AM

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Update?
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#51 Offline AntsMaryland - Posted August 28 2021 - 10:21 AM

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Update?  :D


Aphaenogaster cf. rudis 

Tetramorium immigrans 

Tapinoma sessile

Formica subsericea

Pheidole sp.

Camponotus nearcticus


#52 Offline NancyZamora4991 - Posted August 28 2021 - 10:23 AM

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yes please!!



#53 Offline futurebird - Posted August 28 2021 - 2:15 PM

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What lens do you use for your macro photos?


Starting this July I'm posting videos of my ants every week on youTube.

I like to make relaxing videos that capture the joy of watching ants.

If that sounds like your kind of thing... follow me >here<





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