387 replies to this topic

[DDD101DDD]

What are you going do when you have to expand?

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I'll take a picture tomorrow after they finish moving. Currently they are digging into the soil and have excavated quite a bit.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

What are you going do when you have to expand?

I think I'll have until next year, but I am going to make them a bigger, better terrarium. Since it's going to be bigger, I can probably just wipe the fluon off the old one and lower it in.

[ANTdrew]

You’ll be fine without the charcoal. Definitely try to get some springtails in there, though. There are these white ones that I find living symbiotically with wild Tetramorium colonies under rocks. The springtails I put in my dirt tank are the only living things that survived the onslaught.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

There are some springtails in the soil. I saw a couple when I was preparing the setup. I assume they have hidden away since then, though.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

The Tetramorium are now living in the terrarium, but are busily filling up the Mini Hearth with soil, preventing me from removing it.

I think I will keep the Camponotus. Especially now that I will have an extra Mini Hearth.

Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, September 25 2019 - 12:57 PM.

[Kaelwizard]

Looks like my Pogonomyrmex are dying.

[AntsDakota]

Looks like my Pogonomyrmex are dying.

That's ant keeping.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Looks like my Pogonomyrmex are dying.

You can't give up on antkeeping, even after this. 

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Update:

 

Tetramorium immigrans: The big colony is doing very well in their terrarium. They have tunneled all around, with one visible highway. They have a lot (But definitely not all.) of their brood in the drainage layer up against the side of the tank, close to the heat cable. The chia seeds I sprinkled on the soil have begun to sprout, so I added some more as well as a few flax seeds, just to see what will happen. While the Tetramorium queen with 3 workers is being traded tomorrow to Pumpkin_Loves_Ants, he won't take the other one; apparently I am too generous. Sadly I believe the ant cricket is dead; I haven't seen him in weeks. Maybe I can find some of his friends and add them to the setup.

 

Myrmica cf. punctiventris: I love these ants more everyday; they just have so much character, and eat with such enthusiasm. I gave them some honey today, and over three quarters of the colony, including a queen or two, came rushing out as soon as the first scout returned. It's amazing how one ant can convey that much information to another in just a fraction of a second, with a tap of an antenna or a whiff of pheromone. Now they are mostly just sitting around, their gasters distended with yellow honey.

 

Myrmica sp.: As far as I know, she hasn't done anything. I think she will hibernate before she raises brood.

 

Camponotus pennsylvanicus: They have moved fully into the old Tetramorium Mini Hearth, and ate a lot of honey last night. An eighth worker eclosed, but it may be dead, for as you may know, I killed a bunch of pupae by accident while collecting them.

 

Formica pallidefulva: They've started foraging! I saw a worker in the outworld and immediately added honey. They ate quite a bit.

 

Formica neogagates: Dead. Will point mount her soon.

 

Crematogaster cerasi: I picked one of my queens out for Pumpkin_Loves_Ants and changed her test tube. Otherwise everything is the same.

 

Lasius neoniger: Still has lots of eggs.

 

Lasius brevicornis: No new developments.

 

Lasius aphidicola: Ditto.

 

Brachymyrmex depilis: Just hanging out together.

 

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis: Still doing fine, with a nice egg pile. They may have eaten their larva, but I trust that if they did, it was for a good reason.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I think the Camponotus may be dying. About three workers are comatose, and there is a very light colored (Newly eclosed.) worker who is fine, meaning it has nothing to do with damaged pupae. This is the second time I have moved Camponotus into a Mini Hearth only to have them die the next day. I remember hearing that these ants have low chemical tolerance, maybe there is something in Mini Hearths that hurts only very sensitive ants. I think it is time for me to swear off keeping carpenter ants. They always end in tragedy.

Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, September 26 2019 - 3:58 PM.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Does anyone know which habitats or locations I might find Pheidole in a northern state such as Wisconsin? There are two species, P. bicarinata and P. pilifera. I've never seen either, so presumably they are extremely rare or restricted to specific environments.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

The F. pallidefulva queens are getting very physogastric, likely from the honey. I wonder if they might lay some eggs soon.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Yes! The Formica pallidefulva have eggs! 

[Antennal_Scrobe]

One of the Formica pallidefulva workers is acting strangely. It appears to be partially paralyzed, dragging some of its legs and sitting in a hunched position. I removed it from the colony and placed it in the freezer to humanely kill it. I need to stop the spread of whatever disease it may have. Even if it was dying for some other reason, it wasn't going to be helping its colony anymore.

Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, September 27 2019 - 2:29 PM.

[Kaelwizard]

One of the Formica pallidefulva workers is acting strangely. It appears to be partially paralyzed, dragging some of its legs and sitting in a hunched position. I removed it from the colony and placed it in the freezer to humanely kill it. I need to stop the spread of whatever disease it may have. Even if it was dying for some other reason, it wasn't going to be helping its colony anymore.

That’s how my Pogonomyrmex died.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Yeah, that's how a lot of ant colonies tend to die. But if it was a disease, I may have nipped it in the bud. Hopefully, that worker just came from a pupa that I manhandled while moving them. I think the Camponotus are fine; they have stabilized at 6 workers and a few small larvae (Plus the queen of course.), with no strange behavior. I really want to figure out how I can heat at terrarium from the top or side, the Tetramorium have all their brood in the drainage layer, and they are in for a rude awakening the next time I water them.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I think I saw a bald faced hornet queen on the street during the big nuptial flight on 9-10-2019 and I am really regretting not catching it. Though maybe she was too big for the microscope slide container I use to catch ants.

[ANTdrew]

Yeah, that's how a lot of ant colonies tend to die. But if it was a disease, I may have nipped it in the bud. Hopefully, that worker just came from a pupa that I manhandled while moving them. I think the Camponotus are fine; they have stabilized at 6 workers and a few small larvae (Plus the queen of course.), with no strange behavior. I really want to figure out how I can heat at terrarium from the top or side, the Tetramorium have all their brood in the drainage layer, and they are in for a rude awakening the next time I water them.

They’ll be alright. Mine are all up in the drainage layer, too. Just be sure not to sprinkle too much water at a time. I pour in 3/4 of a cup once or twice a week. Thr other thing that could help is putting in a flat stone to sprinkle the water over. That would create a dry, safe zone and a hydration gradient.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

There is actually a flat stone in there.