68 replies to this topic

[Canadant]

I would like to make this thread for all things Crematogastor - questions, answers, thoughts, ideas, and general fun loving discourse.

[ANTdrew]

Nice!

Something I've noticed recently is that my Cremas are drinking a crap ton of water recently. I wonder if this is some kind of preparation for diapause?

Plus, I traded two of my 2019 queens for a Formica queen.

[TennesseeAnts]

I've noticed that Crematogaster minutissima queens don't care if hibernation is next month.... My queen has almost a dozen eggs...

[ANTdrew]

I've noticed that Crematogaster minutissima queens don't care if hibernation is next month.... My queen has almost a dozen eggs...

Wow! How’re you going to contain them?

[TennesseeAnts]

I've noticed that Crematogaster minutissima queens don't care if hibernation is next month.... My queen has almost a dozen eggs...

Wow! How’re you going to contain them?

I honestly have no clue. My large lineolata colony has over 400 workers now, and no signs of stopping this year. The queen is constantly laying new eggs. They now have over 800 brood, mostly eggs and pupae, with some small larvae hatching from the previous batch of eggs (laid on the 29th).

[Canadant]

Update: slightly sad.

My boosted colony escaped. They passed the ptfe barrier and made a run for it. All the brood is gone and when I got up the next morning they were just pushing the queen over the lip of my outworld. I think the moved into a crack by my door. I picked up as much as I could and placed them back. There were casualties in the panick.

So, some workers (50) and 1 queen. No brood.

How did this happen? Me being new to crematogastor care. I like to place heavy duty wrapping tape around the top of my outworld. I can adjust the overhang to my liking and the exactoknife of the rest. It looks neat and there are no unsightly drips of barrierctrailung down the side of my outworld. I place ptfe or olive oil underside the tape. Looks clean and worked great for my camponotus. Well the crematogastor got passed it. I have since put a 1 inch barrier around the rim of ptfe. Took tape off. That has stopped them completely. But too little too late.

I wonder if the have less affiliation to this queen? They tend to her though.

[ANTdrew]

Here’s a question for CrematoMasters: what kind of wood should I search out for a natural nest for C. cerasi? I’m hoping to find a cool looking piece of driftwood that’s soft enough for them to tunnel in.

[ANTdrew]

Update: slightly sad.

My boosted colony escaped. They passed the ptfe barrier and made a run for it. All the brood is gone and when I got up the next morning they were just pushing the queen over the lip of my outworld. I think the moved into a crack by my door. I picked up as much as I could and placed them back. There were casualties in the panick.

So, some workers (50) and 1 queen. No brood.

How did this happen? Me being new to crematogastor care. I like to place heavy duty wrapping tape around the top of my outworld. I can adjust the overhang to my liking and the exactoknife of the rest. It looks neat and there are no unsightly drips of barrierctrailung down the side of my outworld. I place ptfe or olive oil underside the tape. Looks clean and worked great for my camponotus. Well the crematogastor got passed it. I have since put a 1 inch barrier around the rim of ptfe. Took tape off. That has stopped them completely. But too little too late.

I wonder if the have less affiliation to this queen? They tend to her though.

Damn that’s awful. Nothing contains Crematogaster forever, I’ve learned. They always find a way out eventually. I would suspect that humidity rendered the PTFE ineffective. It takes very little to make it passable for them.

[TennesseeAnts]

Here’s a question for CrematoMasters: what kind of wood should I search out for a natural nest for C. cerasi? I’m hoping to find a cool looking piece of driftwood that’s soft enough for them to tunnel in.

Oak. Or white pine.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Any rating of Crematogaster for keeping? Thinking of trying to diversify next year

[TennesseeAnts]

10/10

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

nice, looking for something a little quicker growing than Camponotus.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

like formica subaenescens (North American counterpart of Formica Fusca)

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

I have Creamogaster Cerasi in my state

Just need to talk to Ant_Dude next year lol

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

I also have access to Crematogaster Lineolata

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Next year is going to be interesting, because I may find heart butt ants

[Canadian anter]

Trust me Formica usually don't grow faster than Camponotus lol

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Yeah, I read once Camponotus. gets past the founding stage, they grow as fast or faster than formica

[ANTdrew]

Definitely try Crematogaster. They’re really fun- until they start escaping.

[TennesseeAnts]

Even then they're fun! It puts your skillz to the test, and helps you learn better escape proofing.