625 replies to this topic

[CatsnAnts]

Alright, so I BROKE ANOTHER TEST TUBE. That brings me down to 4! I had a black sheet around the outside of it and was preparing to give it to my aphenogaster colony so they could move into it, BUT NOPE, it just slipped on out and shattered EVERYWHERE. Then my cat started walking in the glass, HUMPH, had to take care of that. So while I am in the process of preparing to ask my parents if I can spend money (yes I have a job, but they still are iffy on the ants) on some new test tubes, I have made a temporary setup with two bead containers. The first one acts as a water reservoir to hold the water, while the other one is the actual housing container, there is one hole on the side of the water reservoir bead container with some cotton threaded through it. The cotton “wick” then goes into a hole in the housing bead container where a larger piece of cotton is. Finally, they have a hole that acts as their enterence and exit.

EDIT: the test tube that broke was the one with two subbarbatus queens, they had ripped each other to bad lengths, so I just released them. Now I’m down to three subbarbatus queens, one aphenogaster colony, and a termite pair. The C. Subbarbatus queens all have five eggs now too!

Edited by CatsnAnts, May 22 2019 - 1:59 PM.

[CatsnAnts]

Collected some more walnuts today and found loads of tapinoma sessile colonies, all of whom I put back. But in one was another aphenogaster colony, the same species as my other, and I have tentatively identified them as aphenogaster fulva. The one I found today has no home, as I completely broke open their walnut. I decided to give them the bead container formicarium and leave my first colony in the nut. I fed my first colony a fly, and they dragged it through the tiny hole in the walnut!

[CatsnAnts]

Decided to release the second aphenogaster colony, they weren’t cooperating, and I don’t really need two colonies of them. Plus, the queen of the first colony has a nice red color that the other one doesn’t! SO now about test tubes. I told my parents that I needed more last night, and they said that I can buy 10 more, but then I’m not allowed to buy ANYTHING ELSE related to ant keeping. I really better not break these!

[Acutus]

Buy Ants Canada they're plastic!! Expensive but Plastic!

[CatsnAnts]

Buy Ants Canada they're plastic!! Expensive but Plastic!

Your funny , my parents would absolutely demolish me if I spent over 10 dollars on test tubes! Plus, I kinda like the glass ones. XD but I do plan to get some kits when I maybe get to the end of my sophomore year or junior year!

[Acutus]

 

Buy Ants Canada they're plastic!! Expensive but Plastic!

Your funny , my parents would absolutely demolish me if I spent over 10 dollars on test tubes! Plus, I kinda like the glass ones. XD but I do plan to get some kits when I maybe get to the end of my sophomore year or junior year!

 

 

You just need to explain the value to them. You're spending more in the short term but you're getting better value and longevity in the long term.

If that don't work Tell them the plastic ones are better cause they can't get broke and Ants escape!! LOL!   

[ANTdrew]

Can you ask your science teacher to lend you some?? All the teachers I work with would be happy to help with that.
On a tangent, couldn’t a clear soda or beer bottle make a great test tube alternative with a massive water reservoir?

[CatsnAnts]

YEET SKEET (sry for the cringe) BUT I JUST FOUND TEMNOTHORAX!!! I was looking through logs and sticks tonight. I first found a Lasius umbratus, and now since I know Lasius alienus like to put brood in sticks, I will attempt to raise her. I also found two more C. Subbarbatus, so that brings my total up to five again, and I am going to attempt to raise them together, because these two are actually getting along! FINALLY, when I was ready to give up looking for the day, I cracked open a twig at the perfect spot to reveal a small temnothorax colony! It has 6 workers, a queen, and only one larvae (I was a little surprised to see them, so I wasn’t prepared to collect all of the brood and accidentally lost some). I got the queen first, then the six workers. I then put the single larvae in with them, but they don’t seem to care about it. I’m debating on how I am going to house them, any suggestions?

Also, for the test tubes, the 10 of them are coming tomorrow, so I can finally give some of my queens a home!

And responding to you guys above, my teachers are on a strict budget, and I’ve tried explaining to my parents many times that ants are perfectly harmless, but all they can think of is that they are going to infest our house, oh well, I’m still allowed to keep them in our shed (it’s pretty warm in there too)!

Edited by CatsnAnts, May 24 2019 - 2:39 AM.

[CatsnAnts]

Here is some pictures of the temnothorax. Sorry, it’s the best I can do with such small ants and an iPhone.



EDIT: I forgot to mention that they are temnothorax curvispinosus

Edited by CatsnAnts, May 23 2019 - 2:48 PM.

[CatsnAnts]

Alright! So I got the test tubes, and immediately put my pair of C. Subbarbatus queens in one, and I also put one in the foraging area for my aphenogaster colony since their walnut home is drying out (literally ants are everywhere in the outworks looking for water, so hopefully they will move in). Lastly, the most challenging part, was moving my new and favored temnothorax colony into a test tube. I got ride of as much debris that I could from their container, and them I dumped them in. I didn’t lose a single worker, or that piece of brood that they are now caring for! Here’s some pictures of the temnothorax queen and her workers in their new home!

[ANTdrew]

I’m worried about putting more than one Camponotus together.

[CatsnAnts]

I’m worried about putting more than one Camponotus together.

I do know that most of them will kill queens off until there’s one left when workers arrive, but have there been any reported cases where Camponotus colonies had more than one queen, I’m curious. (Also, if they do fail, I stil have three other subbarbatus queens who I believe are all starting to get larvae!)

[TennesseeAnts]

Yes, some Camponotus are polygynous, such as Camponotus modoc or Camponotus vicinus.

[ANTdrew]

Ok. I’ll trust your judgement, but I’ve read some stories on here of this backfiring.

[CatsnAnts]

I just fed both my Temnohorax colony and my Aphenogaster colony honey! My temnothorax ants immediately went for it, although the queen is a little iffy. My aphenogaster colony drank a descent amount.

[Acutus]

Which Aphaenogaster do you have? I've read on here many Aphaenogaster refuse liquid sugar and go almost totally carnivores 

[CatsnAnts]

Which Aphaenogaster do you have? I've read on here many Aphaenogaster refuse liquid sugar and go almost totally carnivores

Yes, that is true, after I posted this, they have completely ignored the honey, so I guess fruit flys it is. I have aphenogaster fulva though (I think)!

[Acutus]

Same colony type I caught yesterday, that's why I asked.

[CatsnAnts]

Same colony type I caught yesterday, that's why I asked.

Awesome! If you find anything they like or any tips, let me know!

[Acutus]

Will do!