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Tetramorium Caespitum EUROPE (first time)

pavement ants europe tetramorium first time keeping ants pictures of ants young ant colony

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#1 Offline DjuriniMravi - Posted August 14 2016 - 4:04 PM

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1. Hello everyone (catching spree)

 

 

 

 This is my first attempt at raising a colony of ants so any advise is appreciated. I am from Croatia where nuptial flights of tetramorium sp. was in the middle of jun so I get a couple of them, but only three queens seems to be fertilised. (Others were caught too early...) Since then, I've been keeping notes about their progress in my notebook and camera. I will try to get as many pictures every update so less text will be needed.

 

Of course, english is not my native language, but I think you will understand most of the text.

 

Story time: 

 

16.06.'16 (midnight)

   I've noticed ants bringing all male and female ants with wings up to surface. I was too impatient so I instantly took four of them (not smart idea) on four different spots. I marked them as |1|, |2|, |3| and |4|. (Very creative, I know...) After sending pictures to this forum, someone commented they are most likely "Tetramorium Caespitum"   They were put in a test tube setup like in Ants-Canada's youtube video,  aaand that's where story about those four queens ends... (They layed some eggs, but there wasn't any progress after that.)

 
post-693-0-94305400-1466165616.png
*picture I've sent to forum to get queen's ID
 
 
- 17.06.'16 (around 17 a.m.)                                     
   Was taking a walk near places I saw nuptial flight last night and I cought fifth queen. The |5|. Put her in setup and after two days she started laying eggs! :) (I was so excited,)
 
gallery_693_604_212388.png
 *|5| with her first egg/s
 
 
 
 
After that, things started to happend quickly... And, what suprised me the most, even after a whole week after nuptial flight, I was able to find a lot of them walking on a pavement.
 
 
 
 - 22.06.'16.- six days after n.f. (3 p.m.)
  Caught |6| and |7|.  My younger brother almost stepped on |6| so i yelled... Nice guy. |7| managed to escape (yes, I underestimated her.)
 - 09.07.'16.- twenty three d.a.n.f. Caught |8|.
 
 
So at that point I had three healthy and producing queens: |5|, |6| and |8|.
 
 
2. FIRST WORKERS
 
 
 
- 27.07.'16.
  I just came home from a vacation and was going to check up the queens and then...
 
gallery_693_604_138985.jpg
* |5| has her first couple of workers.
 
 
What funny is that at this moment I was like:" Ooo, I have yellow ants, nice!" (for n00bs like me: they become black as their exoskeleton hardens.)
So, as first workes had arrived, I gave them small drop of honey and continue feeding them after that.
 
gallery_693_604_131308.jpg
*|5| Test tube was set on my diary where I am collecting notes about my ant colonies.
 
 
The number of workers only grew after that. |5| is the "oldest one" and she had the most workers, but |6| catch up on her [31.07.'16] and took a lead althought she was captured six days afer her. I moved |5| in new test tube once when she had only eggs, and once she had eight workers with brood, same with |6|. |8| is in the same test tube whole time, she has a lot of brood but no workers. I once gave her a small drop of honey. (I avoid to give them food until first workers arive but she looked very exhausted for few days so I decide to help her up.
 
 
That all happend between "the hunt" and today. I have been writing down every detail in my notebook (one more worker, two more, gave food, they ate all, queen loves honey and stuff like that), but I think u guys don't wanna read all that so I won't post all of that. Or comment if you do. :)
 
ok, we are finally in the present!
 
4. PRESENT 15/08/'16.
 
 
 
 
   Here is what colonies look like right now! :D
 
  - |5| with eight workers
gallery_693_604_436871.jpg
 
 
 - |6| with nineteen workers and food left over
gallery_693_604_115911.jpg
 
 ...and last but not least...
 
- |8| with zero workers, but alot of brood, just finifhing her honey meal
gallery_693_604_89014.jpg
 
 
Colonies are doing fine and I am glad that this forum exists. I wonder how many will read it down all until the end. ;P 
that's is from me for now... Wish me luck. :D


#2 Offline dspdrew - Posted August 14 2016 - 9:50 PM

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Nice detailed journal. Embedded pictures too (no clicking a link to see them). :)


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#3 Offline sgheaton - Posted August 15 2016 - 4:51 AM

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It's almost like I ASKED WHAT PEOPLE WANTED but never got an answer back. Knowing that Drew doesn't want to click and read anything and would rather read a picture book -- I don't care what he wants as I prefer it the other way!


"I'm the search bar! Type questions into me and I'll search within the forums for an answer!"


#4 Offline dspdrew - Posted August 15 2016 - 8:59 AM

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Nah, I love to read. I just don't want to have to click and wait for some bloated image host's webpage to load just to look at one picture. It would be like a news paper article giving a page number and location to flip to to see the image that accompanies the article.



#5 Offline sgheaton - Posted August 15 2016 - 9:27 AM

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One thing I don't think about but need to realize is that some people are using/viewing these from their phones. I can see how hacking to click something for a new page could cause problems. I'm not a fan of how it messes up the formatting sometimes. 


"I'm the search bar! Type questions into me and I'll search within the forums for an answer!"


#6 Offline DjuriniMravi - Posted August 15 2016 - 1:06 PM

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Nice detailed journal. Embedded pictures too (no clicking a link to see them). :)

Thanks! I am glad you like it. It will get updated next week with new photos. (And home made formicarium.) :D 



#7 Offline DjuriniMravi - Posted August 15 2016 - 1:18 PM

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It's almost like I ASKED WHAT PEOPLE WANTED but never got an answer back. Knowing that Drew doesn't want to click and read anything and would rather read a picture book -- I don't care what he wants as I prefer it the other way!

I like reading your Tetramorium journal! xD  ...and my answer is: pictures to come up automatically on pages. ;D



#8 Offline AntsAreCool55 - Posted August 16 2016 - 7:09 AM

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6 and 8 don't look like Tetramorium,they look like Lasius or Formica queens. In picture 8 you can see coocons which Tetramorium don't spin.

Maybe I missed the information about those two queens in your journal,if I did sorry about that.

Nice queens and journal! Good luck with them, and I sent you a message:)

Edited by AntsAreCool55, August 16 2016 - 7:09 AM.

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#9 Offline DjuriniMravi - Posted August 16 2016 - 8:57 AM

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6 and 8 don't look like Tetramorium,they look like Lasius or Formica queens. In picture 8 you can see coocons which Tetramorium don't spin.

Maybe I missed the information about those two queens in your journal,if I did sorry about that.

Nice queens and journal! Good luck with them, and I sent you a message:)

 You did not miss anything! There are differences between |5| (wich is really tetramorium caespitum, I hope) and other two queens... I assume they are same species because I cought them on same spot and only day after. I'll guess I'm going to get detailed photos of them, ask ID and also edit my journal. xD  Thanks for paying attention. Like I said, I am really new at this so any help or advice is very welcome.
I replied on your message. :)


Edited by DjuriniMravi, August 16 2016 - 8:57 AM.






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