665 replies to this topic

[ANTdrew]

Update 3-13-2020

 The world is falling apart, but my ants are doing great. I woke up to news today that my school district had closed suddenly, which will probably be the beginning of an extended time away from the classroom. At least I'll have my ants as a welcome diversion.

Sigyn is really thriving in the Nucleus III nest, especially since I started to heat the nest with a mini-heat pad stuck on the back. The entire colony is huddled up as close to the pad as they can, but a lot of ants are up foraging, too. The are wolfing down the dubia roaches and mealworms I've been giving them, so that is an encouraging development. One issue I still have to deal with is getting the satellite colony out of the bead container nest and into the Nucleus. Hopefully I can figure that out today.

 

One of my new queens is really impressing me! She is already up to seven nanitics with a robust brood pile. I've been giving them nectar drops and insects bits nightly, but today I decided to go ahead and provide them with an outworld and a nectar feeder. I have really high hopes for this queen.

 

 

 

[AntsDakota]

Let me guess........ Coronavirus?

[ANTdrew]

Yes, indeed. Corona days are the new snow days in our sad world.

[Ants_Dakota]

Yes, indeed. Corona days are the new snow days in our sad world.

Just as snow, we hope it will melt and let spring in.

[ANTdrew]

Amen to that. This too shall pass.
Unsolicited advice to the young people on here: don’t just journal your ants; record what you’re experiencing during this because this is historic.

Edited by ANTdrew, March 13 2020 - 8:52 AM.

[AntsDakota]

Future generations will think this was insane.......

[ANTdrew]

Update 3-18-2020

 

I'm down to two Crematogaster colonies now as I sold one of my new queens on Sunday. A second one of the new 2019 queens has workers now and is off to a great start. She currently has eight workers with plenty more on the way. I've been feeding her in her tube, but I opened it up today and put it in one of my BoxBox container outworlds, so they can forage. I figured out a really easy way to feed them nectar in their tube: inserting a blunt tipped syringe and putting a few drops on a bit of paper towel in the tube. I don't have to freak anyone out opening the cotton this way.

 

Sigyn continues to kick butt in her Nucleus. I love this formicarium and can say that it was worth every nickel. They are eating protein like crazy and chugging lots of nectar. A funny behavior I've noticed is how they like to drop sand from a stick up above their trash pile to bury it. I wonder why they prefer to do this instead of just putting the sand on the pile, but it does keep them from touching the refuse. Here's a photo of the behavior:

 

 

They have a massive brood pile that they've stashed right behind where I stuck on their heat pad:

 

Crematogaster are simply the best.

 

 

Edited by ANTdrew, March 2 2021 - 9:11 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Update 4-3-2020

 

All is well in my Crematogaster-verse. Sigyn continues growing and thriving in the Nucleus. I'm feeding them 5-6 mealworms, dubia roaches, or wild caught insects everyday to keep up with their voracious appetites. The feeding frenzies are fun to watch but kind of intimidating at the same time.

 

 

Here's a Crematogaster happy hour after I replenished their liquid feeder:

 

2019 Colony:

I love this cute little colony. They are growing super fast in the old BoxBox outworld that Sigyn herself grew up in just last year. I currently count about 30 workers and a crap ton of brood. I'm feeding these at least one dubia roach, mealworm, or multiple fruit flies every day. Crematogaster really need to be fed every single day if you want them to be successful. I don't think they have very big social stomachs.

 

 

 

Attached Images

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Edited by ANTdrew, March 2 2021 - 9:13 AM.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

yeah, they're gasters are meant for looks, not social stomaching 

[ANTdrew]

yeah, they're gasters are meant for looks, not social stomaching

Just how I like it in my girls.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

you just made my drink come out of my nose! LMAO

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

This is some quality journal content lol. My goodness, I haven't been that surprised in a pleasant way in quite a while. Thanks AD lol

[AntsDakota]

Keep in mind that 'AD' could mean Ant_Dude, ANTdrew, AntsDakota, or Ants_Dakota. 

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

I typically just call him AD when I talk to him specifically and haven't used the nickname for anyone else, but I could see the confusion 

[AntsDakota]

Alright. I just must not have seen you use it. I thought of using that nickname for myself, yet decided on 'Adak' (even though its an island and town in Alaska  ), because I knew there were (at the time) 2 other members with whom the nickname could be confused. 

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Sorry Adak, lol

[AntsDakota]

No, don't be. I was just making clear to myself who's calling who what, and what to call who. Who here thinks I'm using 'who' and 'what' too much? 

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

say who if you think so, say what if you disagree lol

[AntsDakota]

Who? 

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

What?