159 replies to this topic

[dspdrew]

Update 3-10-2016
 
The large colony continues to get larger and larger, and I now want to get them out of this wood box and into one of my regular formicariums. I decided not to make the 10 gallon "wood box" for them. I still had another unfinished prototype, so I quickly finished it up and got it in working condition. Now I'm just trying to flood the ants out of the wood box they're currently living in. This is a very slow process, but what I'm afraid of, is the ants getting stuck in an area they can't get out of. When I built this box, I only made one hole in the top Hydrostone layer, so they need to head for that hole, or else there's going to be a problem.

[drtrmiller]

Flooding response behavior varies considerably among ant species, making it very effective for some, and potentially dangerous for others.

I remember flooding a particular species once, and they became petrified until the water was virtually touching them. I ended up having to break the nest open, as neither heat nor cold nor light nor flooding would get them to budge.

Edited by drtrmiller, March 10 2016 - 8:51 AM.

[dspdrew]

These ants live mostly around creeks, so I think they handle the water okay.

[dspdrew]

Update 3-12-2016
 
I finally got the large colony out of the "wood box" and into one of my prototype formicariums. I did a rough count on them, and there appears to be about 600 workers.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
The smaller colony has been put in the "wood box" in hopes they might do a little better than they've been doing in the test tube. They have about 50 workers now.

[dspdrew]

Update 3-31-2016
 

Last week the queen in my smaller colony died shortly after moving them into the "wood box".

[yen_saw]

 
Do you know why workers placed larvae on the vertical wall instead of leaving on the flat surface?

[dspdrew]

I'm not exactly sure. Ants do this all the time. In formicariums, test tubes, where ever they are, they seem to love doing that.

[dspdrew]

Update 4-22-2016
 
This colony is continuing to grow pretty fast. They even starting to produce full-sized workers now. There's probably about seven or eight of them at this point. They seem to be liking their new nest too. They're certainly filling it up quick.
 
In all these pictures you can see one of the full-sized workers. They are about twice the  length of the nanitics.
 

 

 

 

[drtrmiller]

 
Do you know why workers placed larvae on the vertical wall instead of leaving on the flat surface?

Heat exchange is greatest and it is drier along the sidewall. Also they may not like the material of the nest.
 
Most species of ants place pupae (including 4th instar larvae) in the drier, warmer parts of the nest, which is exactly what you see in the photo.

Edited by dspdrew, June 20 2020 - 12:59 AM.

[dspdrew]

Update 6-14-2016
 

Since the ants got past the Fluon ledge, and were all over the mesh top, a lot of time passed before I got around to feeding them. I did manage to drop plenty insects in there, but I didn't realize that the feeder had run dry and had been empty for some time. The ants went for quite a while without any sweet liquids, and eventually started dying.

 

At first I started noticing that the ants weren't running all over the place all the time like usual. The queen wasn't laying anymore eggs, and I was starting to see a lot of dead workers laying all over the inside of the nest and in the out world. The ants made no attempt to clean them up or move them to the trash. They really weren't doing anything at all, just sitting there not moving. They were alive, but just standing still all the time. Once I finally realized they were starving to death, I gave them a whole bunch of liquid food, and the whole colony filled up on it. Now they are all running around again, and they have cleaned everything up. The queen has even laid more eggs. I think the ants were just completely out of energy, and barely had enough to stay alive, so they didn't want to move. It was an interesting lesson.

 

I did a rough count, and the colony is down around 700 workers now.

[PTAntFan]

Drew, I'd love to be successful with my L.O. queens.  Unfortunately, one of them is insane and laying eggs haphazardly all over, so extremely unlikely that she makes it.  But for the other, two questions for you:

 

1. Did you feed your queens before nanitics?
2. I can expand my $3 tower infinitely, but do you think the wood box (more natural) environment was a key factor in getting the colony to a greater success level and should I seek to provide a more natural environment, specifically involving wood?

[drtrmiller]

Unfortunately, one of them is insane and laying eggs haphazardly all over, so extremely unlikely that she makes it.  

 

That's a very common abnormality with new queens.  My own observations of the behavior mostly involve Solenopsis invicta. Regardless of the species, however, queens who do not organize their eggs or brood in a neat pile are generally unfit and do not live very long.

[dspdrew]

1. I can expand my $3 tower infinitely, but do you think the wood box (more natural) environment was a key factor in getting the colony to a greater success level and should I seek to provide a more natural environment, specifically involving wood?

 

I really don't know, to be honest. I only had one colony in wood, so the only thing I know for sure is it didn't hurt them. Their success might have been the nest they were in, or that could have just been a coincidence.

 

 

Regardless of the species, however, queens who do not organize their eggs or brood in a neat pile are generally unfit and do not live very long.

 

Haha, I've noticed the same thing

[dspdrew]

Update 7-4-2016
 

Ever since I accidentally starved this colony, the queen had been laying very few eggs, and then today I found her dead. I have three new colonies, so hopefully one of these can take my large colony's place.

 

I put the colony with the most workers into one of my new founding formicariums.

[PTAntFan]

Bummer! My young queen is a laying machine. Only problem is I'm about to jump on a plane for 10 days vacation and she's got about a dozen about to eclose. Oh well, I hope they make use of the limited resources I left.

[dspdrew]

Update 7-9-2016
 

I just found the queen in my big colony dead.

 

I have three new colonies, but who knows if they are going to produce like my big one did.

[dspdrew]

Update 7-28-2016
 

Well I just had another whole colony suddenly die off completely for no apparent reason. This has happened quite a few times in the past. I'm down to one tiny colony now. I put this colony in one of my "dirt boxes". They already dug themselves a little nest, and seem to be doing okay.

[dspdrew]

The ant hamster wheel.

 

[Canadian anter]

Makes me smile

[sgheaton]

So when this happens, do/(should??) you  interrupt the race or take favorites and speculate who'll win?