19 replies to this topic

[blatherdrift]

I ordered a Lasius Aphidcola queen from Canada Ant Colony with about 6 host workers and quickly set them up in an ant tower. I decided to try filling the tower up with soil instead of the provided sand in order to build it out into a terrarium-type formicarium. It's also a founding chamber, as this is a pretty tiny colony and the queen hasn't hatched any naturalized workers yet, herself. 

 

The tower itself is filled with a tropical substrate mix of peat moss, fir bark and coconut husk. I added sand and activated carbon to the mix, too and filled the hydration tray with cocohusk. I also attached a nest mate from THA with water, but I think its unnecessary thanks to the tower's hydration system.

 

So, to start there queen off, I poked a hole with a Q-tip and when I attached the provided test tube, she took a day to move in, finding the hole right away. The ants are a bit small so I haven't much digging, but the tunnel has been widened out enough that the light from the inner cylinder is shining through. Peaks of the queen show she is alive and so I assume well but I haven't taken the red film off to check.

 

I've added 3-4 living fruit flies and a dead fruit fly to the surface and have kept a mini feeding tower powered with sunburst nectar for the confused workers to consider. A corner of the tower sits on a 15w heating pad that I share with a mini hearth setup for another colony.

 

I'm trying to introduce some spring tails into the tower but wasn't sure the best way so I just dumped some of the charcoal onto the surface. I suppose I can remove it later.

 

**edited to fix name error

 

Edited by blatherdrift, May 7 2020 - 12:18 PM.

[AnthonyP163]

Very interesting. I would suggest adding a few more pupae to try to get the queen more hosts if you can get some. Queens tend to have a better chance of laying eggs when they have 20+ host workers. 

[AntsDakota]

I ordered a Crematogaster queen

You do mean Lasius, right?

[blatherdrift]

Very interesting. I would suggest adding a few more pupae to try to get the queen more hosts if you can get some. Queens tend to have a better chance of laying eggs when they have 20+ host workers. 

 

I do not have brood. I ordered this queen from ants colony Canada. I hope it works out haha

[ForestDragon]

the charcoal actually looks pretty cool, like shards of rock spiking out from the ground, and you can just find a lasius colony in your backyard and raid them of some pupa, the workers will open them by themselves

[blatherdrift]

Not much has changed! The tower is working nicely, at least. No mold and I have a cleanup crew so I don't have to clean up after my ants which is nice. Otherwise, yeah ... still waiting for eggs... maybe they'll never come ;( I might try and dig up a lasius nest now that the weather is warming up here in Quebec but we'll see.

[AntsDakota]

Nice! I have one of these as well, with neoniger hosts.

[Canadian anter]

Hi! Minor correction but it's Canada Ant Colony. As others have said, she might do better with more workers, but I have definitely seen success with this quantity.

[AntsDakota]

Hi! Minor correction but it's Canada Ant Colony. As others have said, she might do better with more workers, but I have definitely seen success with this quantity.

Mine has around 20.

[blatherdrift]

So, 

 

I think this colony is doomed! my workers are getting too old to be around to care for the queens eggs, if she ever lays any. In an attempt to save them, I went digging through a colony of struggling Lasius Niger (they lived in the ant tower but were relocated by my cat.) and managed to find a worker clinging to an egg. I dropped the worker and egg into the tower, rescued the worker and sealed up my tower. No idea what they are going to do with that egg or if it'll ever help but at least I tried to do something!! 

 

Anyway, I added a bunch of Fluon to the tower and leave the lid off on water days to help it dry out a bit faster. No mold or anything from the tower and that's great because I haven't had to clean anything. Springtails just eat up the dried bits of fruit fly. 

 

The tower is nice! I have some Monte Carlo carpet (aquarium plant) managing to grow and slowly spread. The springtails are thriving and the charcoal looks nice too. I think I'll stick with THA for founding formicaria, however. I'll probably pick up a large ant tower and build out a nice terrarium for an established colony. 

[AntsDakota]

So, 

 

I think this colony is doomed! my workers are getting too old to be around to care for the queens eggs, if she ever lays any. In an attempt to save them, I went digging through a colony of struggling Lasius Niger (they lived in the ant tower but were relocated by my cat.) and managed to find a worker clinging to an egg. I dropped the worker and egg into the tower, rescued the worker and sealed up my tower. No idea what they are going to do with that egg or if it'll ever help but at least I tried to do something!! 

 

Anyway, I added a bunch of Fluon to the tower and leave the lid off on water days to help it dry out a bit faster. No mold or anything from the tower and that's great because I haven't had to clean anything. Springtails just eat up the dried bits of fruit fly. 

 

The tower is nice! I have some Monte Carlo carpet (aquarium plant) managing to grow and slowly spread. The springtails are thriving and the charcoal looks nice too. I think I'll stick with THA for founding formicaria, however. I'll probably pick up a large ant tower and build out a nice terrarium for an established colony. 

Different species will not cooperate (excluding parasites). The hosts most likely killed the niger worker.

[blatherdrift]

 

So, 

 

I think this colony is doomed! my workers are getting too old to be around to care for the queens eggs, if she ever lays any. In an attempt to save them, I went digging through a colony of struggling Lasius Niger (they lived in the ant tower but were relocated by my cat.) and managed to find a worker clinging to an egg. I dropped the worker and egg into the tower, rescued the worker and sealed up my tower. No idea what they are going to do with that egg or if it'll ever help but at least I tried to do something!! 

 

Anyway, I added a bunch of Fluon to the tower and leave the lid off on water days to help it dry out a bit faster. No mold or anything from the tower and that's great because I haven't had to clean anything. Springtails just eat up the dried bits of fruit fly. 

 

The tower is nice! I have some Monte Carlo carpet (aquarium plant) managing to grow and slowly spread. The springtails are thriving and the charcoal looks nice too. I think I'll stick with THA for founding formicaria, however. I'll probably pick up a large ant tower and build out a nice terrarium for an established colony. 

Different species will not cooperate (excluding parasites). The hosts most likely killed the niger worker.

 

 

I rescued the worker and returned him to his nest. The larva was left behind. I'm assuming they took it to either raise it or eat it because I can't find it above ground anymore. You don't think there's a chance they will raise that brood? 

[AntsDakota]

They might raise it, yet when it hatches they might kill the worker.

[blatherdrift]

Ahhh well.. So what do you suggest I do with this colony? Does it still have a chance?

[Canadian anter]

I would recommend getting some Lasius brood for them.

[blatherdrift]

But Lasius Aphidcola ... because the brood of Lasius niger you just said would be killed by the host ants  

[AntsDakota]

If you could find a colony of their host species, that would be a great source of brood.

[blatherdrift]

Ahh yeah that seems unlikely. I've never seen Lasius Aphidcola ;( 

[Canadian anter]

Lasius usually accept all other Lasius brood, no matter the species, from my experience.

[AntsDakota]

When I've tried, they killed the workers that emerged.