387 replies to this topic

[Antennal_Scrobe]

All of my workerless queens are now hibernating in the fridge. 

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I am in the process of applying for a permit to keep Pseudomyrmex ejectus, and if all goes to plan I will order a colony from Ferox_Formicae around June, once it gets warm enough for them to survive the shipping process.

[ponerinecat]

Yay, hope they can be shipped soon. I'm still looking for P apache queens.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Do you still keep ants, then? 

[ponerinecat]

yes, I've slowly gotten back into the hobby. still trying to keep colony number at a minimum

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I checked on the hibernating Myrmica colony today, and they have a male now! I assume that the remaining pupae must have hatched when I put them in the fridge. I wouldn't think that they would want to make a male right now, given that it will do nothing but waste resources for several months until August/September.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I'm not dead, and neither are my ants! The Camponotus queen has laid a large batch of eggs, which was a pleasant surprise. The Pogonomyrmex queen has laid an egg, although one worker did die a while back. Both of these colonies have been fed mealworms, and both excepted them. I'm a bit worried about what will happen once I run out of mealworms, because I obviously can't just go to the pet store and buy more, but if I run out, my ants can eat scrambled eggs.

[AntsDakota]

Good to see you (and your colonies) again!

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Thanks! 

[ANTdrew]

As far as I know, pet food is considered essential. You could always order from Amazon, too.

[AntsDakota]

Except Amazon is backed up.......

[Antennal_Scrobe]

This might also be a good time to start a fruit fly culture.

[AntsDakota]

That would be difficult with Amazon backed up, and the fact that most states have issued 'stay at home' orders, including Wisconsin, and most other states members hail from.

[ForestDragon]

i don't know if my petstore closed but I am in the same mealworm predicament brother

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Most of my ants are out of hibernation now, and while the Myrmica and probably Tetramorium colonies experienced some die offs during hibernation, everything seems to be fine, except for the Myrmica americana queen I got from PumpkinLovesAnts, who mysteriously died sometime during hibernation. 

[AntsDakota]

Hmm........ haven’t seen him around in a while.

[TennesseeAnts]

i don't know if my petstore closed but I am in the same mealworm predicament brother

If you need feeder insects that badly, you can grab some termites from outside.

[ANTdrew]

I don’t think termites are all that common up north from what I gather.

Edited by ANTdrew, April 4 2020 - 2:10 PM.

[AntsDakota]

I concur

[Nare]

Termites are present in Wisconsin, but only in a few select locations. Not a viable feeder really unless you collect a bunch and let em sit for a few years.