16 replies to this topic

[Acutus]

Well getting a little bored which in my world can be quite problematic. So on a whim I decided today was the day I was going to move my Aphaenogaster colony.

I had purchased a formicarium from AntWorldUSA. I really like these units so far. Even if my C. castaneus like their Test tube still.

I wondered How my "Not tennesseensis" Colony would fare.

It's starts off looking like this

 

 

With the included supplies, except this plant I got it at a dollar store, I turned it into this!  (It comes with plants I just used them all in my other formicarium)

 

 

The Ant were in here. Just an acrylic box with a test tube Over Full of A. fulva

 

 

So I setup a Tubing bridge from where the ants are to where the ants need to be!

 

 

What a difference from the C. castaneus!!! these guys were off and running almost!! Within 5 minutes I had an ant in the new formicarium. With in 15 minutes they were exploring and even found the new nest area!!

 

 

I went home to eat, came back and 3 hours later there was this!!!   

 

there are two sides to this nest area and I only had the smaller side open.there are a lot more ants so I opened the other side and a couple explored a bit but these Diurnal ants were winding down for the day.

 

 

I'm hoping tomorrow they'll see this nest is bigger and move the rest of the colony in!! Fingers Crossed!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Acutus, July 22 2019 - 8:52 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Excellent! That’s one of the funnest things when a colony moves. How does hydration work in that nest?

[NickAnter]

I think that there is hydration medium behind the plastic, hence the little holes.

[Acutus]

Excellent! That’s one of the funnest things when a colony moves. How does hydration work in that nest?

 

 

I think that there is hydration medium behind the plastic, hence the little holes.

 

When it was shipped it had a perforated tube that inserts from the front. You stuff that with cotton and wet it down then place it back in. However stupid me lost the tube!     

I have been talking with Dave at AntworldUSA about different things and he is redesigning the hydration system a bit. Instead of a perforated tube, the tube will be more of as drawer type that holds water and allows media to be placed in it or not.

After asking him if I could buy a replacement he offered to send me the new style tubes for BOTH the setups I had purchased!

 

Right now I had to recreate the drawer style humidity tube using vinyl tubing.

 

Here's a pic of the tube in my C. castaneus colony.

 

Edited by Acutus, June 4 2019 - 8:16 AM.

[Acutus]

Update!!! 

I think things are going really well!!

 

Came in today and I'd say half the colony is in the new Formicarium. Because of this I was able to take the cover off the Test tube to see what's going on in there. LOTS of Brood!!

Here's some pics!

 

 

 

 

[Acutus]

Oh and so you guys can get an idea of how this move is taking place. The acrylic box they were in has no holes so I constructed a vinyl tubing road!

 

[Acutus]

Ok so enough ants moved out of the Tube to be able to remove it from the old acrylic box without too much trouble. I first removed my "Up and Over Highway" then connected an AC Test Tube Portal via a smaller piece of vinyl tubing then connected the Ants Test Tube to the portal.

Now it looks like this.

 

 

I estimate maybe 2/3rds of the colony are now in the AntWorldUSA formicarium (but it may be too small!!) I didn't realize how large this colony was!

 

Entrance side

 

Expansion side

 

I gave them some pieces of Mealworm and they got it stuck in the entrance!!        (they managed to get it out though)

 

 

 

[Acutus]

Close up of the brood still in the test tube.

 

[Acutus]

Short video of my Colony!!

 

The right colony this time LOL!! 

 

[Acutus]

Looks like the move is actually nearing the end! There are far fewer Ants and Brood in the Test Tube now. Food intakr is insane!! they devour everything!! Honey, Flies, Mealworms, are all consumed greedily.  

 

It surprises me but this is becoming almost my favorite colony!!   

 

 

 

[ANTdrew]

Man, they're massive! Cool looking formicarium.

[Acutus]

Mission Accomplished!!!       

Calling this move Complete!!

 

[CatsnAnts]

Yay!

[Mdrogun]

How are you certain these are A. fulva and not something like A. lamellidens? I've got a colony I've been calling A. lamellidens that look fairly similar, but more orange. I hate using color as a method of ID but I don't have the microscope to do anything else.

[Acutus]

How are you certain these are A. fulva and not something like A. lamellidens? I've got a colony I've been calling A. lamellidens that look fairly similar, but more orange. I hate using color as a method of ID but I don't have the microscope to do anything else.

 

Well I ID'd them as A. tennesseensis when I first found them. ( I saw Orange and went crazy! ) I was told later they were A. fulva. Honestly after that I didn't really look into it further. Probably will now though! LOL 

Mine only have the Orange on the Bottom and end of the Gaster.

 

Actually they are definitely Fulva I just compared to  A. lamellidens on Ant Web. (I have a 3x, 5.5x, and 8x ) magnifying glass, I bought it at Staples I think, and I just looked really close 8x Mine have two backward facing spikes and a tooth back towards the gaster.

 

Like this http://www.antwiki.o...Tom_Murray).JPG

[Acutus]

HELP!!!! I'm over run!!!!     This A. fulva colony got outta hand quick!!

 

The first water dam got depleted so I had to figure a way to add another so I took some Ants Canada accesories and did an addition. I was sure the ants would vacate the dry tube but as you can see that's not happening! LOL! The nest looks jammed packed, there was an Alate hatch, and now I'm not sure what I'm gonna do! LOL 

Have to make more space as they quickly over ran this setup!

 

ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS WELCOME!!!

 

 

 

[CatsnAnts]

Oof, they had a population boom good luck.