32 replies to this topic

[benjiwuf]

just a picture update on the colony, the brood is doing well, and has grown significantly. it's hard to see everything in these pictures, but the queen is in the bottom chamber. they've excavated the lower chamber so that half is bare with only plastic around them.

Edited by benjiwuf, January 16 2015 - 6:18 PM.

[drtrmiller]

Finally I see what you mean by swimming pool.

 

Do they ever leave the nest to forage?

 

And what do you mean they have grown significantly?

[benjiwuf]

the egg pile, and the original eggs laid in this batch have grown significantly. i can see a much bigger difference in the size of both since the queen started laying. they don't really forage, however i threw in a few fruit flies and blue for them if they do get hungry. the flies have walked into the nest so they don't really have to leave anymore. if you could see it now, it really looks like a pool. they're cleared the one side out so that it's only plastic.

[drtrmiller]

Those are good signs.

 

Helpful tip: if you add too much water, you can insert a pipette and suck the excess water out until it is no longer oversaturated.  

 

Not many formicaries allow you to correct hydration overzealousness :~P

[benjiwuf]

haha yea i've done that with the GroTube a few times. it's a pretty helpful thing for sure!

[benjiwuf]

to date i have 2 puppa, a group of eggs, and what i think are some more larva in there. i finally saw the nanitic walking around in the foraging area after i provided them with some more formula blue 100 and 4-6 fruit flies. it seems they do like to keep a clean nest.

 

Edited by benjiwuf, January 28 2015 - 1:59 AM.

[dean_k]

Can you take a picture of the whole setup?

 

And how do they treat garbage?

[benjiwuf]

I have them in the 3 row forge setup You reviewed. They're meh about garbage though. Mostly they take it out or use it in their wall to the foraging area which in turn falls outside their nest. However, sometimes they just get lazy and leave it in a lower chamber. Mostly they're good about garbage on average.

[benjiwuf]

my second nanitic eclosed today, so now there are three ants in total. this colony seems to let a few of their pupa die though, and i'm not sure why. they let them pupate and then just abandon them inside the nest. either way there are roughly 6 larva ready to change to pupa any day now, and at least 3 more pupa ready to eclose any day. i can see their eyes very clearly.

[drtrmiller]

Are they in the same formicarium?

[benjiwuf]

Yes, although they only use 2 of the 3 rows. The lower row is sealed off with substrate. I'll take and upload pics tomorrow.

[Ants4fun]

Update? I want to see how that formicarium is holding.

[benjiwuf]

this colony was doing well, and then i sold them to a local. so i won't be able to update this journal anymore.