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Dspdrew's Formica francoeuri Journal [211] (Discontinued)

dspdrew formica francoeuri journal

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#21 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 18 2015 - 7:03 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

No.



#22 Offline Foogoo - Posted June 23 2015 - 8:39 AM

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Interesting thing happened with one of my colonies, they were getting antsy in the tube so I moved them to an acrylic nest that used a PVA sponge about 1 1/2 week ago. I kept the sponge hydrated and fed Blue and insects as I did with my other colonies. Workers began to die and all (ten or so) were dead by yesterday so I moved the queen back to a tube. Only reasons I can think of is either too dry or some sort of bacteria?


Camponotus vicinus, Crematogaster 1, Crematogaster 2, Formica francoeuri, *, *, Myrmecocystus testaceus, Novomessor cockerelli, Pheidole hyatti, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Solenopsis invicta


#23 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 23 2015 - 1:04 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

That is usually a very hard question to answer, even if I know everything about the setup. I have had many mysteries like that. All you can do is speculate unless you have lots of colonies and the time to do testing. I did find out once that uncured Plasti-dip caused the death of a lot of my ants, but I actually did some testing to verify it.



#24 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 23 2015 - 11:43 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 6-24-2015
 

The colony I put in the ant farm box finally got a nest dug and moved in without my help. Yesterday I put another colony in another one of these small ant farm boxes that just became available. This one already had tunnels dug by the Pogonomyrmex that was in it before, so it didn't take them long to move in.



#25 Offline dspdrew - Posted August 5 2015 - 7:13 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 8-5-2015
 

Most of the queens in test tubes have not done very well. I think part of the problem was that I sort of neglected them for a while. I'm now left with five colonies. Two of them are in test tubes inside foraging containers and are not doing that well. Both have just a few workers, and not much brood at all. The other three are in dirt boxes and doing well. All three have quite a few workers and lots of brood. The largest colony is in a large dirt box, and the two smaller colonies are still in the small dirt boxes I put them in before the last update.



#26 Offline dspdrew - Posted January 15 2016 - 10:13 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 1-15-2016
 
I'm now down to just three colonies of these left. One is still in a test tube inside a foraging container, and not doing very well. That one only has a few workers, and doesn't seem to be growing at this point. The other two are still in my "dirt boxes", one large and one small. One of the colonies living in one of the small "dirt boxes" died a while back. The colony in the large "dirt box" is doing really well, and has close to 150 workers.
 
I just put all three colonies into hibernation in my new "hibernation cabinet".
 
gallery_2_2335_227352.jpg
 
 
This is a video of the large colony just before being put into hibernation.
 


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#27 Offline dspdrew - Posted February 2 2016 - 8:55 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

I added a video to the last update that I forgot to add at the time I made it.



#28 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 4 2016 - 10:54 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 4-4-2016
 
I just took these out of hibernation last week. Both colonies in the dirt boxes still look like they are doing well. The small colony still in the test tube I gave away. It didn't look like it was going to grow anymore.



#29 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 7 2016 - 4:16 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 4-7-2016
 
Just the other day the queen of the large colony laid a huge pile of eggs.

 

The queen of the smaller colony has laid a small pile of eggs too.

 

:D



#30 Offline Alexant - Posted April 8 2016 - 3:36 AM

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This is good to hear



#31 Offline dspdrew - Posted November 22 2016 - 1:04 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 11-22-2016

 

I only have my older, larger colony of these left. The colony is doing well. I'm not sure if the population has grown or shrunk, because it still looks about the same, and I can't really count them in the "dirt box" they're in. They put so much dirt on the sides of the tunnels and chambers, that you can hardly see anything anymore. I just put them into hibernation today.



#32 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 16 2017 - 1:07 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 3-16-2017

 

I just took this colony out of hibernation today, and they seem to be doing just fine. I gave them some fresh sugar water and a few termites.



#33 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 31 2017 - 11:41 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA
Update 4-1-2017
 
Just checked the colony and they have a massive pile of new eggs and small larvae. The queen must have laid a lot of these eggs within days of taking them out of hibernation.
 
They started grabbing them all and scattering as Formica always does the second any light hits them.
 
med_gallery_2_394_1038891.jpg
 
med_gallery_2_394_197886.jpg
 
med_gallery_2_394_1082952.jpg
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#34 Offline YsTheAnt - Posted October 6 2017 - 6:21 PM

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How are they doing?

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#35 Offline dspdrew - Posted October 9 2017 - 6:55 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 10-9-2017

 

This colony is still producing like crazy. I estimate approximately 400 workers.


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#36 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted October 9 2017 - 7:10 PM

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Pics pics pics pics!
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Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 


#37 Offline FeedTheAnts - Posted October 10 2017 - 6:18 AM

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Yes, please post pics if you can. I love Formica and was not aware that you had any current colonies of this Genus.


I accidentally froze all my ants 


#38 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted November 24 2017 - 6:18 PM

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These look similar to my F.pacifica.

#39 Offline dspdrew - Posted January 13 2018 - 10:24 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 1-13-2018

 

Not much has changed with this colony. They are still in a large Dirt Box, and still doing well. I just now put them into hibernation for the winter.



#40 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 9 2018 - 12:43 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 6-8-2018

I just took these out of hibernation about a week ago. The colony looks like it's still doing great. I already see clumps of new eggs as well.

 

I also just found a bunch more of these queens in Cajon, CA on 5-28-2018, during a slight heatwave.







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