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NicholasP's Myrmecocystus Navajo


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#1 Offline NicholasP - Posted November 20 2021 - 1:02 PM

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A month ago I got from a friend in Arizona a Myrmecocystus Navajo queen that had been constantly failing at founding because she kept eat her small larvae. So we made a trade of some ants I had for that queen. With a bonus though... You see,

when I asked to trade for it they said they'd add a Navajo worker from their personal colony and so they did.

 

2 days later after the worker had been added I came to pick up the queen. She was beautiful! She was like diamonds in my eyes. Her beauty was indescribable, and to think she was all mine! My dream ant species finally in my hands! Dream come true. So off we went back home. But the whole ride home I had a feeling that something horrible had happened to the Navajo and I couldn't stop thinking about it. We got home and that's when my fears were confirmed, the tube had rolled over during the trip and the dry white sand had enveloped all the small white larvae. This was bad news. I didn't know what to do. But I decided to move them into a new tube this time with Sedona sand though so I can see the larvae easily. Problem was... 2 days passed and still nothing the worker only kept cleaning the queen...

 

And I got impatient... Being impatient is possibly the worst thing for me to do with ants because then I just make the situation worse almost 99.9% of the time. So I moved them into another tube with more sand. Next day still no eggs. I was really desperate at this point. I only had one option left though... To put them back into the test tube with white sand. I decided I needed to clean up the tube of all the scattered sand, and so I did and it looked ok at the end. Then I decided to put in the worker first and then the queen. They were in safely. Now, the next step of my plan was to leave them and wait for a day and then check back up on them.

 

The suspense was building as I went into my room... I peered over into the tube carefully as if I would've been wiped out of existence if I wasn't careful or if they fell to the ground. I searched a minute... Success! The worker had found larvae and was still digging some up. So I left them again another day. I came back the next day and more larvae were there! This was when I decided to add some dry Sedona sand to make it pretty and so there was enough sand for the larvae.

Fast forward a month or something along those lines they are now doing great. They have a lot of midsized larvae that I can't wait to see them possibly cocoon up next week. Who would've thought that a small worker would be the worker that would save a queen's possible colony! I'd like to name the worker. But not a male name since queens and workers are all females. So leave in the comments please possible female names for the girl and in the end I can decide with all the answers of what to name the worker!

 

I will leave some pictures of all the stages of the queen and the worker's adventures together! In a little while though.


Edited by NicholasP, November 20 2021 - 1:05 PM.

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#2 Offline Bugging3out - Posted November 21 2021 - 5:44 AM

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Hi, just wanted to say about the test-tube rolling around. You can use books or anything to block the test-tube. Make the blockage into almost little pit while you doing something that may cause the test tube to move. Anyway will check on your journal daily. Seems really cool and i look forward to your honeypot ant colony growing! I also want to see what you do because my friend all the way in Utah wants to send me a M. navajo colony. So i want to see any mistakes or anything that seems to help the colony that you do. 

 

peace! :afro:


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peace!  :afro:


#3 Offline NicholasP - Posted November 21 2021 - 9:07 PM

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Thank you for the info! I still need to work on getting permits for all my ants so I can continue my journals for you guys to see my journeys with my ants even when I move to Michigan! 


Edited by NicholasP, November 21 2021 - 9:07 PM.


#4 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted November 22 2021 - 9:57 AM

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Thank you for the info! I still need to work on getting permits for all my ants so I can continue my journals for you guys to see my journeys with my ants even when I move to Michigan! 

you are moving to michigan? well heres a doc on how to fill out an application for a permit(not mine) https://docs.google....22qnlOGVxI/edit


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


#5 Offline NicholasP - Posted November 26 2021 - 9:38 PM

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The worker has died! Now we need a name more than ever in memory of the worker. Luckily I'll be able to get a couple more workers from the person I got them from! I'll keep you all posted!


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#6 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted November 27 2021 - 5:57 AM

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Sorry to hear about that. At least you are getting new workers!


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


#7 Offline NicholasP - Posted November 28 2021 - 7:23 PM

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And... As a bonus with sand I got in Sedona I'll be using it to make a nice orange sand coated nest for my honeypots! Stay tuned for more!


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#8 Offline NicholasP - Posted January 5 2022 - 9:06 PM

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Hi guys! Since the last post a lot has happened. I got the workers. But unfortunately 2 of the 3 workers died and all their brood died in a mold outbreak or they ate any other living brood. So now I'm at a point where I'm really struggling. The queen has not laid at all since the last post and I've been feeding crickets. What should I do? Should I put them into hibernation and hope that they maybe aren't laying because they're stubborn and want to hibernate? Or do I try moving them to a new ant nest? Their test tube currently hasn't been working since the test tube whenever I put it on a heating cable gets tons of condensation. I'd try an incubator box but right now I don't have any time or money to afford that. My plan for a new ant nest was to basically make a model of a Tar Heel Ants Mini hearth but make it ultra tiny. basically 1/2 the size. What do you guys think about that? let me know down in the comments as soon as possible please!


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#9 Offline NicholasP - Posted January 7 2022 - 9:24 AM

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I've decided to move them in to a extra small nest that's basically a mini hearth cut in half. Time to get building!


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#10 Offline NicholasP - Posted February 9 2022 - 11:50 PM

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Unfortunately there were problems with the face of the mini hearth not being flat. So, I decided to keep them in a test tube for now. Unfortunately, the queen hasn't laid at all and now I'm desperate because that worker will die any second now. So, I've decided to perform a rather rash decision... I have decided to collect some Myrmecocystus placodops workers from my neighborhood tomorrow to try and give the queen a worker boost and then proceed to give the queen some Camponotus prudosus brood. The chances of this succeeding are from 1% to nothing. So, my plan is to remove the one navajo worker and take the smallest of all the placodops workers I find tomorrow and dunk it in white vinegar first and then put it in with the queen. If after 45 minutes no aggression is shown I will proceed with adding back the navajo worker and continuing to add more placodops workers until I have around 15 in total with at least 2 big workers. I really hope this works. I love my Navajo and I won't let her die without a vicious fight to keep her alive. I will let you guys know how it goes in the end...






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