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Formica Questions...

Started By Devi , Oct 15 2020 4:37 PM

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#1 Offline Devi - Posted October 15 2020 - 4:37 PM

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I have a Formica queen in a mini hearth and she has one nanitic... She hasn't been laying any more eggs and I am concerned about her. When should I start feeding her? Neither the queen or nanitic have ever gone in the outworld... I may just hibernate them and hope she will be rejuvenated for next year.
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#2 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted October 15 2020 - 5:03 PM

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I would move her back into a test tube. the moisture is better and there is less space.


Edited by Ants_Dakota, October 15 2020 - 5:46 PM.

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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. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

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#3 Offline Devi - Posted October 15 2020 - 5:05 PM

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Why?

#4 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted October 15 2020 - 5:14 PM

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there is too much space. my formica seem to hate space


Edited by Ants_Dakota, October 15 2020 - 5:46 PM.

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. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

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#5 Offline Devi - Posted October 15 2020 - 5:38 PM

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Hmmm. What does everybody else think? If that is the overall consensus I will move her... Thank you for the input Ants_Dakota!
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#6 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted October 15 2020 - 5:45 PM

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Hmmm. What does everybody else think? If that is the overall consensus I will move her... Thank you for the input Ants_Dakota!

no problem!


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. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

#7 Offline Manitobant - Posted October 15 2020 - 5:51 PM

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She won't lay any more eggs until after hibernation. Formica have a broodless diapause.
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My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449
General acanthomyops journal: https://www.formicul...yops-with-eggs/

#8 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted October 15 2020 - 5:53 PM

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She won't lay any more eggs until after hibernation. Formica have a broodless diapause.

yup. and that is unfortunate, as i also have a formica queen with 1 nanitic, and if that nanitic dies in diapause...


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. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

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#9 Offline ANTdrew - Posted October 15 2020 - 5:55 PM

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I think moving my F. pallidefulva into a mini-hearth was a bad idea. I say try the test tube, or better yet, a dirt set up.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#10 Offline Thunder_Birds - Posted October 15 2020 - 7:05 PM

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I agree with what everyone says about this. But, in summary, it would would probably be a good idea to move them into a test tube. And, after hibernation next year, they will start to grow more. I wouldn't be to worried about it ;)


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#Ants4Life

#11 Offline Spazmops - Posted October 15 2020 - 7:52 PM

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I have a Formica fusca group queen with 3 nanitics, it's like Manitobant said. 


Co-owner and founder of Mountain Myrmeculture and The Menagerie Discord Server. 

Ants I have:

1 Formica fusca group- 0 workers

1 Tetramorium immigrans colony-20 workers

1 Dorymyrmex insanus- 1 queen, used to have workers

 

1 large P. occidentalis colony- around 50 workers, plenty of brood

 

 

#12 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted October 16 2020 - 6:41 AM

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i think anything like pallidefulva or smaller should not be in a mini hearth until they start outgrowing a test tube but a formica argentea queen would be fine in a mini hearth as a founding queen honestly, i've seen it many times and those queens started thriving after laying eggs.


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We don’t talk about that

#13 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted October 16 2020 - 6:42 AM

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i am just like you, devi. i am to hurried to move ants into a bigger nest before they are ready. try to wait a bit until they are too crammed in a test tube to grow more. or give them a small outworld for their test tube.


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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. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

#14 Offline ANTdrew - Posted October 16 2020 - 8:09 AM

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There is no significant size difference between F. argentea and F. pallidefulva.


"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#15 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted October 16 2020 - 12:40 PM

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Maybe mines subsercia or however you spell it but for mine there is a significant size difference and it’s a pretty big difference. Such a big difference that I had to put my sub queen in a 20mm test tube while the pall queen with 7 workers fit in a 10 mm test tube.
We don’t talk about that

#16 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted October 17 2020 - 12:50 PM

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Subsericea is only different than argentea in antennae length so probably not that either.
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