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How Long?

Started By CasiahJade , Nov 10 2020 1:55 PM

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32 replies to this topic

#1 Offline CasiahJade - Posted November 10 2020 - 1:55 PM

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Back in September I got a Dorymyrmex queen into a test tube and she started laying eggs.  I know I was checking up on her too often (once a week) and she ate her eggs; so I moved to a every 2 weeks schedule.  As my second check in nears, I'm wondering if I should just leave her alone for longer.  I'm afraid that I'm making enough mistakes that she's just going to die.


#2 Offline Zeiss - Posted November 10 2020 - 2:38 PM

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You should be fine checking in on her.  The thing that stresses the ants out the most would usually be vibrations and being moved around too much.


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#3 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted November 10 2020 - 2:55 PM

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I check on my queens every 7 days and they're fine. If they eat their eggs or not depends on many factors like species, temperature, humidity, and more. Also, some queens are just destined to fail. 


#4 Offline Guest_StrickyAnts_* - Posted November 10 2020 - 3:04 PM

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4 inch's

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#5 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 10 2020 - 3:17 PM

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4 inch's

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huh?

 

ugh nvm i get it now :/


Edited by Swirlysnowflake, November 10 2020 - 5:11 PM.

 My YouTube channel :)

 

 

#6 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted November 10 2020 - 4:06 PM

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4 inch's
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Breh
We don’t talk about that

#7 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted November 10 2020 - 4:09 PM

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4 inch's

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That's short


#8 Offline Guest_StrickyAnts_* - Posted November 10 2020 - 4:13 PM

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4 inch's

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That's short
I mean

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#9 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted November 10 2020 - 5:02 PM

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4 inch's
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

That's short
I mean
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

4 inch's
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

That's short
Lol ok stop before everyone else catches on to it.
We don’t talk about that

#10 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 10 2020 - 5:08 PM

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Stop the trash. This is not that kind of place.

Checking every two weeks should be fine, just *gently* lift some kind of cover (I use towels) without shaking or moving the tube a lot. Also, make sure she is warm enough.
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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.

#11 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted November 10 2020 - 5:14 PM

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I don’t know if all the queens in my yard are super ants or something but they are highly resilient and I check on them probably every other day, the ones with workers. But if it’s just a queen, as antdrew said 2 weeks is good.
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We don’t talk about that

#12 Offline AleeGuy - Posted November 10 2020 - 5:27 PM

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I checked and feeded my Camponotus colony every 3 days since they got their first workers

#13 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted November 10 2020 - 6:54 PM

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Stop the trash. This is not that kind of place.

Checking every two weeks should be fine, just *gently* lift some kind of cover (I use towels) without shaking or moving the tube a lot. Also, make sure she is warm enough.

that you antdrew. you are our best mod. also, i do the same, with the towels. zeiss nailed it. light usually does not bother ant species, it is the vibrations that scare them and make them eat their eggs. drawers, racks, anything that you move to see them will spook them, and make some eat their eggs. hope that was helpful!


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Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

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#14 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted November 10 2020 - 7:01 PM

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Stop the trash. This is not that kind of place.
Checking every two weeks should be fine, just *gently* lift some kind of cover (I use towels) without shaking or moving the tube a lot. Also, make sure she is warm enough.

that you antdrew. you are our best mod. also, i do the same, with the towels. zeiss nailed it. light usually does not bother ant species, it is the vibrations that scare them and make them eat their eggs. drawers, racks, anything that you move to see them will spook them, and make some eat their eggs. hope that was helpful!
Antdrew is a father to some of the larval stages of humans, he knows how to set things straight.
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We don’t talk about that

#15 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted November 10 2020 - 7:03 PM

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Stop the trash. This is not that kind of place.
Checking every two weeks should be fine, just *gently* lift some kind of cover (I use towels) without shaking or moving the tube a lot. Also, make sure she is warm enough.

that you antdrew. you are our best mod. also, i do the same, with the towels. zeiss nailed it. light usually does not bother ant species, it is the vibrations that scare them and make them eat their eggs. drawers, racks, anything that you move to see them will spook them, and make some eat their eggs. hope that was helpful!
Antdrew is a father to some of the larval stages of humans, he knows how to set things straight.

 

good for him.


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My South Dakotan Shop Here

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

#16 Offline Devi - Posted November 10 2020 - 7:33 PM

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Stop the trash. This is not that kind of place.

Checking every two weeks should be fine, just *gently* lift some kind of cover (I use towels) without shaking or moving the tube a lot. Also, make sure she is warm enough.

that you antdrew. you are our best mod. also, i do the same, with the towels. zeiss nailed it. light usually does not bother ant species, it is the vibrations that scare them and make them eat their eggs. drawers, racks, anything that you move to see them will spook them, and make some eat their eggs. hope that was helpful!

 

Yes.  He has been of of the people that has helped me the most as I've learned about antkeeping. :)


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#17 Offline NickAnter - Posted November 11 2020 - 7:25 AM

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I personally check on my ants every day, so I know that isn't a huge issue(can be for some ants though). Its likely the queen isn't warm enough, or simply may not be fertile.


Edited by NickAnter, November 11 2020 - 7:26 AM.

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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). 

#18 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted November 11 2020 - 7:34 AM

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I personally check on my ants every day, so I know that isn't a huge issue(can be for some ants though). Its likely the queen isn't warm enough, or simply may not be fertile.


For my queens that have enough workers to actively hunt live food I check on every day, usually around or over 5 workers.
We don’t talk about that

#19 Offline CasiahJade - Posted November 11 2020 - 7:35 AM

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Alright, I've moved her from inside a drawer to on top of my dresser with a box on top to provide darkness.  Should i get a little space heater for my room?  What temp should I aim to keep her at?


#20 Offline NickAnter - Posted November 11 2020 - 7:39 AM

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I just checked to see when you got this queen, and since it was 2 months ago, a fast growing genus like Dorymyrmex should at least have larvae by now. Maybe try a heating cable, and if there is no progress, I'd say just leave in a drawer and forget about her, and maybe she'll decide to get workers. That's what I do for any seemingly infertile queens.


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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). 

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