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ANTdrew's Subterranean Termites Journal - Covfefe


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39 replies to this topic

#1 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 31 2020 - 10:01 AM

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Beginning 5-31-2020

 

I decided 2020 is the time for me to take the plunge into termite keeping. I've seen multiple flights of Recticulitermes flavipes in my area over the past two weeks, and I managed to snag 8 alates. Most of these I snagged out of mid-air. I put the alates in a plastic shoe box with damp sand in it, so they could shed their wings and get in a romantic mood. I put three of the resulting pairs in their own separate test tubes filled with damp sand and rotten silver maple wood. I put a third straggler termite in one of the tubes.

 

Here's a pair coupling up, awww:

 
I only plan to keep one healthy colony, which I will name Covfefe. More to come.

Edited by ANTdrew, August 31 2020 - 7:16 AM.

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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.

#2 Offline FeedTheAnts - Posted May 31 2020 - 1:43 PM

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Cool! I just saw a queen and male under a log while on a hike. They had a little clump of eggs. 


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I accidentally froze all my ants 


#3 Offline Nare - Posted May 31 2020 - 1:54 PM

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Hoping they do well. I haven't had any imagoes die once they've laid eggs, so if yours have, you're likely good. I'd've held onto a few more pairs just for insurance, but it shouldn't be difficult to find more in the off chance that Covfefe don't make it.


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#4 Offline Jimmydave937911 - Posted May 31 2020 - 2:06 PM

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Looking forward to more updates Drew!

#5 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 31 2020 - 3:22 PM

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Hoping they do well. I haven't had any imagoes die once they've laid eggs, so if yours have, you're likely good. I'd've held onto a few more pairs just for insurance, but it shouldn't be difficult to find more in the off chance that Covfefe don't make it.

I have three pairs for insurance. They’ve all disappeared into the rotten wood, though, so I have no way of knowing if they laid eggs. I’ll just keep the pair that gets the most workers. I’ll release the rest in my yard or in my d*ck-head neighbor’s yard. (See my Termite Story post)
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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.

#6 Offline Antkid12 - Posted May 31 2020 - 4:27 PM

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LOL, and strangely for me all the termite I've kept in rotton wood died of fungus.  :(


Edited by Antkid12, May 31 2020 - 4:28 PM.

Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 


#7 Offline AntsDakota - Posted May 31 2020 - 4:34 PM

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Wish I could find termites. There’s just too much Lasius of all kinds in every dead stick and under every rock to support much else other than ants, worms, and isopods.

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version


#8 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 9 2020 - 9:36 AM

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Update 6-9-2020

 

Not much has changed for Covfefe. Two of the tubes' termite pairs have disappeared from sight entirely. I can only hope they are doing ok in some sort of chamber or something. Oddly enough, I can see the dealates in the tube that has three dealates in it. They group up right up to the side of the tube and aren't showing any aggression. I don't know if this is a good sign or a bad one.

There was another big flight of these here on June 5th, but I didn't want to catch any more.

 

You can just make out the "third wheel" in the lower part of this photo:


Edited by ANTdrew, June 9 2020 - 9:38 AM.

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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.

#9 Offline ponerinecat - Posted June 9 2020 - 10:16 AM

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Nice colony of cockroaches you have there. I also have some Zooptermes nevadaensis reproductives I successfully introduced to some wild workers.



#10 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 9 2020 - 11:12 AM

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Nice colony of cockroaches you have there. I also have some Zooptermes nevadaensis reproductives I successfully introduced to some wild workers.

Thanks. Got a dubia roach breeder colony in the mail, too.
"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 Antkid12 - Posted June 17 2020 - 3:53 AM

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Has your pair laid any eggs yet?


Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 


#12 Offline ANTdrew - Posted July 9 2020 - 10:40 AM

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Update 7-9-2020

After weeks and weeks of seemingly nothing, I noticed that Covfefe have their first worker nymphs! These are unbelievably small and very adorable, in my opinion. These are in the tube that had three dealates in it, though I can only see two now, so maybe one was dispatched. RIP


All I've been doing is sprinkling a little water on their rotten wood every few weeks or so. I'm excited to see where this journey goes!

Edited by ANTdrew, July 9 2020 - 11:10 AM.

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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.

#13 Offline ponerinecat - Posted July 9 2020 - 10:55 AM

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Lovely!


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#14 Offline Antkid12 - Posted July 9 2020 - 12:10 PM

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So cute!!!


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Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 


#15 Offline ANTdrew - Posted July 9 2020 - 12:35 PM

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I know, right?
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#16 Offline VenomousBeast - Posted July 9 2020 - 12:38 PM

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Nice!! Congrats on finally starting termites!! I’ve been into termites longer than I have been with ants and I’ve got some termites too!! Not Reticulitermes flav. but a Zooptermes sp. Instead that I found in my area! Which I’m glad to find cause they are rather hard to find in NOVA!

Edited by VenomousBeast, July 9 2020 - 12:38 PM.

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Keeps:

1:Pogonomymex occidentalis

4: Tetramorium immigrans

2 Reticulitermes flavipes


#17 Offline VenomousBeast - Posted July 9 2020 - 12:51 PM

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I do dream of getting the termites from Africa that grow fungus like leaf cutter ants!! It’d be so cool!! They collect grasses instead of leaves.

Keeps:

1:Pogonomymex occidentalis

4: Tetramorium immigrans

2 Reticulitermes flavipes


#18 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted July 9 2020 - 12:52 PM

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I do dream of getting the termites from Africa that grow fungus like leaf cutter ants!! It’d be so cool!! They collect grasses instead of leaves.

I wonder if those would be legal to import?



#19 Offline VenomousBeast - Posted July 9 2020 - 1:08 PM

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I do dream of getting the termites from Africa that grow fungus like leaf cutter ants!! It’d be so cool!! They collect grasses instead of leaves.

I wonder if those would be legal to import?

Maybe!! I’ll look into it and report back!
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Keeps:

1:Pogonomymex occidentalis

4: Tetramorium immigrans

2 Reticulitermes flavipes


#20 Offline Antkid12 - Posted July 9 2020 - 1:26 PM

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Africa termites are so cool, they have tons of workers!


Edited by Antkid12, July 9 2020 - 1:27 PM.

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Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 





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