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Swirly’s Eusocial Wasp Journal

Started By Swirlysnowflake , Nov 1 2020 6:27 PM

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137 replies to this topic

#81 Offline Dmaculata - Posted December 9 2020 - 11:40 AM

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nice journal! make sure you give em lots of light after hibernation, keeps them stimulated

Ooh, ok. Would a UVB lamb hung over their tank work? Or a heat lamp?
ah yea, and you can use natural sunlight, if you have a sunny window sill, you can use that, or you can keep the enclosure outside

Edited by Dmaculata, December 9 2020 - 11:49 AM.

#82 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted December 24 2020 - 11:21 AM

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So, tomorrow I’m planning to bring the queens tank inside!
I was planning to order some hornworms, fly pupae, and waxworms but no feeder insect companies are shipping out right now. Will mealworms work as a protein source until I can get the other foods?

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#83 Offline ZTYguy - Posted December 24 2020 - 12:34 PM

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I wouldn’t see why not


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Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.

#84 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted December 25 2020 - 2:37 PM

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Yes! The queens aren’t dead/escaped! I searched through their entire tank, and then finally found them in this tiny crevice. She was startled and fell out of the crevice so wedged herself somewhere else. She’s adorable <3
1B72936D-F487-408F-A81C-E87A006E04D9.jpeg
Sorry the pics sideways again
I’ve brought them out of hibernation :)

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, December 25 2020 - 2:39 PM.

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#85 Offline Manitobant - Posted December 25 2020 - 4:18 PM

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An MV bulb would be better used for actually collecting queens.
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/

#86 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted December 26 2020 - 11:55 AM

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I’ve only seen one of the queens since I brought the tank inside (She was exploring around the tank) but now she has gone back into hibernation despite there being a heat lamp over her tank. Is that normal? The heat lamp is there because our house is still pretty cold inside.

 

What is the best temperature for this species to be kept at? 


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#87 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted December 26 2020 - 6:58 PM

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Umm... I may be in a bit of a fix. The wasp queen seems to have escaped. In my house. I couldn’t see her in the tank, and then I found this hole in the lid. Just large enough for the wasp to escape.

I have no idea how I’m going to find it. My family isn’t all too thrilled with the idea of the wasp colony on the house.


Edited by Swirlysnowflake, January 10 2021 - 12:28 PM.

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#88 Offline M_Ants - Posted December 26 2020 - 7:20 PM

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Maybe some bait?


Veromessor pergandei

Veromessor andrei

Crematogaster sp. 

Pogonomyrmex cf cali and rugosus

Various Pheidole

C. yogi 

https://www.youtube....FG7utFVBA/about

#89 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted December 26 2020 - 7:38 PM

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Maybe some bait?


I’ve tried leaving bowls of sugar water around the house. Hopefully that works...

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#90 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted December 26 2020 - 8:05 PM

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Never mind, I found the escaped queen on my curtains :)
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#91 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted December 30 2020 - 10:34 AM

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Wow a thousand+ views on this journal.

 

Anyways, not much to update with the queens. They’ve now fully come out of hibernation. I fed them a few times by holding up a q tip smeared with honey to their mouths (in addition to the bowl of sugar water that is always in their terrarium). They’re adorable when they eat. No nest building yet, but they are scouting the tank. They should start a nest within the next few weeks if I’m lucky. 

 

The weather is very very very slowly warming up. Hopefully in February it’s warm enough that wild queens come out of hibernation. I’m planning to also catch some Vespula queens and try raising them. 


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#92 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted January 10 2021 - 12:17 PM

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Wow a thousand+ views on this journal.
 
Anyways, not much to update with the queens. They’ve now fully come out of hibernation. I fed them a few times by holding up a q tip smeared with honey to their mouths (in addition to the bowl of sugar water that is always in their terrarium). They’re adorable when they eat. No nest building yet, but they are scouting the tank. They should start a nest within the next few weeks if I’m lucky. 
 
The weather is very very very slowly warming up. Hopefully in February it’s warm enough that wild queens come out of hibernation. I’m planning to also catch some Vespula queens and try raising them.

This is so weird! They come out of hibernation for a few days, then go back to hibernation for a few days, then repeat. Is this normal behaviour?

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#93 Offline ZTYguy - Posted January 10 2021 - 8:52 PM

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Id think it would be normal if say temps changed frequently in your house. It might also be due to changing variables in the environment they are in.


Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.

#94 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted January 11 2021 - 8:48 AM

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Id think it would be normal if say temps changed frequently in your house. It might also be due to changing variables in the environment they are in.

I don't think the temperatures are changing. I have a heat lamp over their tank, and it stays around 72-75 degrees. I check the temps with a temperature checking gun thing every day.

And their environment is always the same, which is the tank they're in. They were hibernating in that tank as well. 

 

They are super active, flying around the tank and drinking honey from my fingers, but then the next day they go back to hibernating in the crevice all day, for a few more days, before coming out of hibernation again. :/


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#95 Offline ZTYguy - Posted January 11 2021 - 5:41 PM

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Maybe, hear me out. They are taking break days. You know. . . Like a day to rest and try to create a nest or they are trying to find a nest but can’t find a suitable place. Could you take a pick of the entire tank please.


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Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.

#96 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted January 11 2021 - 6:16 PM

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Maybe, hear me out. They are taking break days. You know. . . Like a day to rest and try to create a nest or they are trying to find a nest but can’t find a suitable place. Could you take a pick of the entire tank please.

Yea but my phone is out of charge rn so I'll post it in a bit


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#97 Offline Guest_StrickyAnts_* - Posted January 11 2021 - 6:26 PM

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Id think it would be normal if say temps changed frequently in your house. It might also be due to changing variables in the environment they are in.

I don't think the temperatures are changing. I have a heat lamp over their tank, and it stays around 72-75 degrees. I check the temps with a temperature checking gun thing every day.

And their environment is always the same, which is the tank they're in. They were hibernating in that tank as well. 

 

They are super active, flying around the tank and drinking honey from my fingers, but then the next day they go back to hibernating in the crevice all day, for a few more days, before coming out of hibernation again. :/

 

They arent hibernating lul. They are just resting or gathering material to build a nest.


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#98 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted January 11 2021 - 6:34 PM

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Id think it would be normal if say temps changed frequently in your house. It might also be due to changing variables in the environment they are in.

I don't think the temperatures are changing. I have a heat lamp over their tank, and it stays around 72-75 degrees. I check the temps with a temperature checking gun thing every day.

And their environment is always the same, which is the tank they're in. They were hibernating in that tank as well. 

 

They are super active, flying around the tank and drinking honey from my fingers, but then the next day they go back to hibernating in the crevice all day, for a few more days, before coming out of hibernation again. :/

 

They arent hibernating lul. They are just resting or gathering material to build a nest.

 

I thought so too but would they really be resting for 3+ days at a time, in the same spot, without emerging at all?


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#99 Offline Guest_StrickyAnts_* - Posted January 11 2021 - 8:13 PM

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Id think it would be normal if say temps changed frequently in your house. It might also be due to changing variables in the environment they are in.

I don't think the temperatures are changing. I have a heat lamp over their tank, and it stays around 72-75 degrees. I check the temps with a temperature checking gun thing every day.

And their environment is always the same, which is the tank they're in. They were hibernating in that tank as well. 

 

They are super active, flying around the tank and drinking honey from my fingers, but then the next day they go back to hibernating in the crevice all day, for a few more days, before coming out of hibernation again. :/

 

They arent hibernating lul. They are just resting or gathering material to build a nest.

 

I thought so too but would they really be resting for 3+ days at a time, in the same spot, without emerging at all?

 

Yes lol. Wasps do that


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#100 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted January 11 2021 - 8:57 PM

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Id think it would be normal if say temps changed frequently in your house. It might also be due to changing variables in the environment they are in.

I don't think the temperatures are changing. I have a heat lamp over their tank, and it stays around 72-75 degrees. I check the temps with a temperature checking gun thing every day.
And their environment is always the same, which is the tank they're in. They were hibernating in that tank as well. 
 
They are super active, flying around the tank and drinking honey from my fingers, but then the next day they go back to hibernating in the crevice all day, for a few more days, before coming out of hibernation again. :/
They arent hibernating lul. They are just resting or gathering material to build a nest.
I thought so too but would they really be resting for 3+ days at a time, in the same spot, without emerging at all?
Yes lol. Wasps do that
Oh. Well, that answers it, thank you :)

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