137 replies to this topic

[Swirlysnowflake]

Nothing has happened at all since the last update. I feed them honey/sugar water every day, and offer insects once a week but the wasps never take the protein, only eating the honey and stuff.. The nest has not been started, sadly. After a while, if they do not start a nest I will just release them.

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, February 10 2021 - 12:53 PM.

[Swirlysnowflake]

As the weather is slowly warming up, I’m going to start going back to an area near me with tons of wasp diversity. I’m hoping to get some Vespula queens, as well as Polistes dominula. 

 

Back to the Polistes aurifer, still nothing. I’m starting to think that they might not start a nest, because another wasp keeper who caught this species around the same time I did, her wasps have started a nest. 

[Chickalo]

Wait can someone use a minifridge for hibernation like with ants?

Edited by Chickalo, February 22 2021 - 9:08 AM.

[Manitobant]

Remember to keep them in the sun, as that triggers them to initiate.

[M_Ants]

Remember to keep them in the sun, as that triggers them to initiate.

Like in direct sun?

[Manitobant]

Yes, from what I’ve heard.

[Swirlysnowflake]

I caught one of the queens attacking the other, biting her legs and wings. The one being attacked is now sitting on the bottom of the tank unable to fly. I’m going to separate them

[Swirlysnowflake]

Yes, from what I’ve heard.

Won't direct sun heat up the glass enclosure far too much?

[Swirlysnowflake]

The attacked queens half-dead. She’s probably going to end up dying

I put her in a separate container and gave her some fresh water and honey to drink. She’s gained back some energy and is sitting on a twig. Things are not looking too good though. Her legs are very weak and one of her wings is torn at the tip.

[Manitobant]

Yes, from what I’ve heard.

Won't direct sun heat up the glass enclosure far too much?

it should be fine, though don’t leave her immediately in direct, as that will cook her. Give her a little shade, but not too much, and do leave her outside. Also, the corner where she will build her nest should already be shaded enough.

Edited by Manitobant, February 24 2021 - 7:22 AM.

[antsandmore]

I caught one myself, so cute! hope it does well, and same for yours.

[Swirlysnowflake]

Well, the hurt queen died yeterday   Don’t think I’m going to be keeping the remaining one, she hasn’t started a nest yet. I’m hoping to catch somemore soon.

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, February 28 2021 - 6:03 PM.

[Swirlysnowflake]

Update, I released the last queen, as I’m pretty certain she was infertile. 

[Swirlysnowflake]

I am reviving this journal because I just caught two P. dominula queens and a Mischocyttarus flavitarsis queen. I'm not sure if I will keep the M. flavitarsis because there isn't a lot of information on keeping them, but I will be trying my luck with the dominula. I've set them up in a kritter keeper, and if they start a nest, I will move them to a 30g at least. Polistes dominula are supposed to be fairly easy to found, so I have my fingers crossed. Pictures coming later today

 

One dominula queen was in a fight with some other insect when I caught her so she's missing a leg. So I'm keeping her separate just in case, because I don't want them to fight.

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, May 9 2021 - 9:22 AM.

[Swirlysnowflake]

Pictures!

The queen who was missing a leg escaped but after a few hours of looking I was able to get another one.

 

Queen 1:

 

 

Queen 2:

 

Sorry for the terrible pictures lol. If they both successfully found and grow a colony, I might try breeding the males of one colony with the new queens of the other, because that has been done before with success.

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, May 10 2021 - 7:41 AM.

[ZTYguy]

I'm gonna try the same experiment with my Camponotus ca02 but that gonna take a while. Anyways love the journal. I'm crossing my fingers for all the queens.

Edited by ZTYguy, May 10 2021 - 7:49 AM.

[Chickalo]

Dang nice!  I've been keeping an eye out for queen wasps.  I found a ton two years ago.  Recently, not so much.  Do they fly the same time as ants?

[Swirlysnowflake]

You can find queens now, though it is getting late in the season. Mainly just spring. You can also find pre-hibernation queens in late fall/winter.

[Swirlysnowflake]

I offered some honey, and here were the results:

 

Queen 1: 

She just ignored it or ran away. She’s sitting like this either on the ground or in between two pieces of cardboard all the time, is that normal? Or is she sick or something.

 

Queen 2:

She very enthusiastically took the honey and drank tons of it. Really cute. 

The pictures are sideways again. w h y 

[Swirlysnowflake]

Neither queen shows any interest in protein, but now both are happily eating honey. As they don’t have any larvae to feed, that makes sense.

Weirdly, they don’t make an attempt to escape even when I open their KKs. Maybe they just don’t realize it’s open?