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Michael's Camponotus modoc journal


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32 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Michaelofvancouver - Posted June 4 2014 - 8:03 PM

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So, I found this queen back at the beginning of May. Here's a pic from right after I caught her.

 
Antqueen
 
I'm quite surprised by how fast her brood has been developing, she has medium/large larvae already! I think her brood is actually a little faster than my Lasius queens from last year!
 
camp1
 
campq
 
I have pretty high hopes for this queen, since she's the only non-Lasius queen I've caught in my anting "career". I love the size of these ants, no more squinting to check up on the brood!  :D
 
Thanks for reading!

 

 


Here's my leopard gecko/ant youtube: https://goo.gl/cRAFbK

 

My ant website.

It contains a lot of information about ants, guides, videos, links, and more!

If you have any feedback, please post here or PM me, don't be shy!

 

I currently keep:

Camponotus modoc

Formica podzolica


#2 Offline LAnt - Posted June 5 2014 - 8:08 AM

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What is she in?
 



#3 Offline Michaelofvancouver - Posted June 5 2014 - 7:46 PM

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She's in a two-story Haven. 

When do you think her colony would get big enough to need a bigger formicarium? Hopefully not in the next 2 years, since I have already used up my budget for anting (until I get a job).  :P


Here's my leopard gecko/ant youtube: https://goo.gl/cRAFbK

 

My ant website.

It contains a lot of information about ants, guides, videos, links, and more!

If you have any feedback, please post here or PM me, don't be shy!

 

I currently keep:

Camponotus modoc

Formica podzolica


#4 Offline Crystals - Posted June 6 2014 - 6:02 AM

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Cut some grass or shovel some snow for the elderly.  :D  That was my spending money growing up.  Probably 3 years before they outgrow the formicarium, but Camponotus simply send extra workers to create outposts in the outworld.


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"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astound the rest." -- Samuel Clemens

 

List of Handy Links   (pinned in the General section)

My Colonies


#5 Offline dermy - Posted June 6 2014 - 12:02 PM

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My neighbor asked me to cut his grass, if you want you can :P.

 

Looks really good, hope she does well, I missed the flights I think :(.



#6 Offline Michaelofvancouver - Posted June 6 2014 - 3:30 PM

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Dermy: Awww, maybe you can still find one by peeling the bark on rotting trees.

 

Crystals: Our townhouse complex has staff members who mow all the lawns. As for snow, there's a few months to go before that happens again!  :P


Here's my leopard gecko/ant youtube: https://goo.gl/cRAFbK

 

My ant website.

It contains a lot of information about ants, guides, videos, links, and more!

If you have any feedback, please post here or PM me, don't be shy!

 

I currently keep:

Camponotus modoc

Formica podzolica


#7 Offline dermy - Posted June 6 2014 - 5:28 PM

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Yeah, don't get me started on winter again :kill: :sick:



#8 Offline LAnt - Posted June 6 2014 - 5:33 PM

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 Our townhouse complex has staff members who mow all the lawns.

 

THAT'S CRAZY!  :o



#9 Offline Michaelofvancouver - Posted June 6 2014 - 8:36 PM

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LOL, why is it crazy? They get paid with rent money.  :P

 

I have noticed some very weird behavior with this queen. She seems to have a craving for water! Everytime I moisturize her nest, she runs around to wherever the water is, and starts "licking" it. Once, I even sprayed water on the outworld portion of her Haven, and she ran outside just to drink water!

Any thoughts on this behavior?


Here's my leopard gecko/ant youtube: https://goo.gl/cRAFbK

 

My ant website.

It contains a lot of information about ants, guides, videos, links, and more!

If you have any feedback, please post here or PM me, don't be shy!

 

I currently keep:

Camponotus modoc

Formica podzolica


#10 Offline Crystals - Posted June 7 2014 - 5:53 AM

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She is thirsty.

Try keeping the humidity higher or have some water for her to drink in the outworld.  You don't want her to get dehydrated.


"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astound the rest." -- Samuel Clemens

 

List of Handy Links   (pinned in the General section)

My Colonies


#11 Offline Michaelofvancouver - Posted June 7 2014 - 8:18 AM

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I moisturize the haven every 2 days. Is that not often enough?

Here's my leopard gecko/ant youtube: https://goo.gl/cRAFbK

 

My ant website.

It contains a lot of information about ants, guides, videos, links, and more!

If you have any feedback, please post here or PM me, don't be shy!

 

I currently keep:

Camponotus modoc

Formica podzolica


#12 Offline Mads - Posted June 7 2014 - 9:40 AM

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If she keeps running around and drinking water droplets every time you add water then it needs to be done more often, or you need to add more at a time.

 

Mads



#13 Offline dermy - Posted June 7 2014 - 10:52 AM

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I think you need a better watering system if she is drinking that much! What is the amount of water absorbed by the Y-tong?



#14 Offline Michaelofvancouver - Posted June 7 2014 - 10:54 AM

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Almost all of it is absorbed by the Ytong. I spray half a syringe of water in each watering hole every time. I think the problem is that one of the watering holes isn't working properly, so only half of the nest is ever moisturized at a time.


Edited by Michaelofvancouver, June 7 2014 - 10:54 AM.

Here's my leopard gecko/ant youtube: https://goo.gl/cRAFbK

 

My ant website.

It contains a lot of information about ants, guides, videos, links, and more!

If you have any feedback, please post here or PM me, don't be shy!

 

I currently keep:

Camponotus modoc

Formica podzolica


#15 Offline Cole - Posted June 7 2014 - 7:36 PM

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Hi Michael do you mind if I ask you where you get the ytong to build your nests? I can't seem to find it anywhere.



#16 Offline LAnt - Posted June 7 2014 - 9:41 PM

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Read the thread



#17 Offline Crystals - Posted June 8 2014 - 6:32 AM

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Read the thread

Chances are he is not familiar enough with the ant community to know that "Haven" is a pre-built ytong nest from TarHeelAnts.

 

Cole, he bought the nest from another person.  Tarheelants.com does sell ytong, but shipping costs can kill.  Firebrick (K-23 refractory brick) is a similar material that is much easier to find, just ask the local pottery places.


  • Foogoo likes this

"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astound the rest." -- Samuel Clemens

 

List of Handy Links   (pinned in the General section)

My Colonies


#18 Offline Cole - Posted June 8 2014 - 7:27 AM

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Okay, cool. Thanks.



#19 Offline Michaelofvancouver - Posted June 9 2014 - 10:44 AM

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This queen now has pupae! 
Yesterday morning, I saw that the queen has dragged some sand from the outworld into her nest.

queencamp

 
She was also moving her brood around a lot more.

broodmove

 
I went shopping during the day, and when I came back in the afternoon, I saw that my queen had her first 2 pupae!

campq

 
 
Wow! This queen has gone from egg to pupa in a month! That's actually faster than my Lasius colony from last year. So much for slow growth.   :D 


Here's my leopard gecko/ant youtube: https://goo.gl/cRAFbK

 

My ant website.

It contains a lot of information about ants, guides, videos, links, and more!

If you have any feedback, please post here or PM me, don't be shy!

 

I currently keep:

Camponotus modoc

Formica podzolica


#20 Offline Mathiacus - Posted June 9 2014 - 11:47 AM

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Wow. She is a beauty! I am happy to see her going so well. Did you get your moisture problem sorted?

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