What about a mini formicarium, just 2-4 chambers big?  You could prop it against the glass in the outworld. Would that work better?

Something like: http://i445.photobuc...zps6a351ce7.jpg

What about a mini formicarium, just 2-4 chambers big?  You could prop it against the glass in the outworld. Would that work better?

 

Something like: http://i445.photobuc...zps6a351ce7.jpg

Yeah, this is all just temporary, I'm in the process of designing some formicariums.

Update 10-19-2013

I moved all of these colonies into test tubes again hoping that this may help them grow. Two of the colonies were completely dead, so there is now only three colonies left. All three of these queens have only boost workers, and no workers of their own. Hopefully at least one of these queens will start laying eggs again.

Update 10-22-2013

I just noticed one of these queens now has a fresh batch of eggs again.    I think maybe the moisture might be helping like I suspected.

Update 10-24-2013

Another one of these queens now has a couple new eggs too.

Update 10-29-2013

The latest queen to lay more eggs recently ended up with some of that nasty yellow zygomycetous mold growing on something in the dirt near the water, and shortly after, her two boost workers died, leaving her with no workers at all. A few days later (yesterday), I found the queen dead too. The other queen with new eggs has a fairly large pile of eggs now.

Update 11-10-2013

I moved the colony with all the new brood into a container where they can forage. It looks like the other colony now has a couple new eggs too.

Update 11-23-2013

The colony with all the new brood is still developing more. They should soon have a few nanitics once again. The boost workers still living in both of these two remaining colonies are almost 6 months old now, so we shall see how much longer they live for. Below is a video of the colony with all the new brood.

Update 11-29-2013

Yesterday the healthiest colony just got the first nanitic it has gotten in a very long time.

Update 12-7-2013

One of the colonies now has three nanitics. This same colony lost one of its three boost workers though. Nothing has changed much with the other colony though, there is still a little pile of new eggs or very small larvae.

Update 1-14-2014

The colony I had in the foraging container's queen died the other day, leaving me with just one small colony with just a few boost workers. I think they might have a few eggs still, but it's hard to tell. I'm not at home right now, but when I get back in a few days, I might see if I can get the queenless workers to accept the other colony, and vice versa.

Update 1-22-2014

I put both colonies together in just a test tube without the foraging container. They fought for about a day and then pretty much stopped. Right now they all seem to be getting along except two workers I can see still biting on each other. usually when I have put Pogonomyrmex workers from different colonies together they were all friends after a few days. There's still a little bit of brood left from the queen that died.

Update 2-1-2014

All of the ants are getting along just fine now, with no more fighting. Not only that, but the queen has even laid a fresh batch of eggs.

How are your colonies doing?

Edited by Ants4fun, February 28 2014 - 5:37 AM.

They seem fine still, but it's hard to see inside their test tube, so I'm not sure what became of that brood. I am planning on checking them out soon.

Update 3-18-2014

All the new eggs the queen laid are now gone. All that is left now is the queen and three workers.

Update 3-23-2014

I just found the queen dead today. I just put the remaining three workers in with one of my seemingly infertile P. rugosus dealates to see if they will get along. I will continue this journal if I get more P. californicus queens this season.

Update 4-30-2014

Chromerust just gave me another one of these queens, so I guess I'll start this journal back up again and see how long it lasts.

Update 5-31-2015

Didn't last long. The queen is already dead.

2015.