195 replies to this topic

[AntsDakota]

 

Great work, man! Unfortunately my Tetras murdered my last colony. I'm getting a replacement in the mail today. 

I'll keep a closer eye on my tetras. Can't have them escaping. 

 

Yeah, I made the mistake of putting mine in a Fortress made for larger species. They escaped somehow, and have free reign on my desk.

[ANTdrew]

Great work, man! Unfortunately my Tetras murdered my last colony. I'm getting a replacement in the mail today.

Whaaaaaa???

[Antkeeper01]

 

Great work, man! Unfortunately my Tetras murdered my last colony. I'm getting a replacement in the mail today.

Whaaaaaa???

 

Totally not like tetras!!!

[cap_backfire]

I feel like the options for this species are so wide open since they don't climb glass or slick plastic!   So many ideas come to mind with these girls.   

 

Yet I don't see many open top outworlds or setups for them.   I havve a thing for open top setups which probably means I'm due for a mass escape in my ant-room but... We'll see.   Anyway I feel like these ants are tailor made ffor me and as soon as I get them the setup I want to use for them I'll be reaching out to THA for a setup colony.   Of course I have a ridiculous idea for a setup.  

Side note, I LOVE your setup as it currently stands and these are just my opinions and not a critique whatsoever.   

[TacticalHandleGaming]

I feel like the options for this species are so wide open since they don't climb glass or slick plastic!   So many ideas come to mind with these girls.   

 

Yet I don't see many open top outworlds or setups for them.   I havve a thing for open top setups which probably means I'm due for a mass escape in my ant-room but... We'll see.   Anyway I feel like these ants are tailor made ffor me and as soon as I get them the setup I want to use for them I'll be reaching out to THA for a setup colony.   Of course I have a ridiculous idea for a setup.  

Side note, I LOVE your setup as it currently stands and these are just my opinions and not a critique whatsoever.   

 

My concern is two things, other critters breaking in. Or them getting out. I recently saw a video in the THA group of pogonomyrmex jumping, and had seen mine do something like this before. I use fluon with all of my colonies as well, as a precaution. 

[cap_backfire]

Jumping??  OK this changes everything. HAHAHAHA thanks for that info!   Yes, things getting in is a worry.   I just put barriers on the OUTSIDE off my open air setups as well as the inside.  It's not very sightly but I've tried to make it unobstructive as possible.  Definitely something to consider.   Thanks for the info!  

[TacticalHandleGaming]

Okay, this colony might be slowing down for diapause. Not really sure as they've been good at hiding eggs before. They have larvae at both water towers still, and about 30ish pupae by the heat cable. 

 

 

 

[Arachnids]

Okay, this colony might be slowing down for diapause. Not really sure as they've been good at hiding eggs before. They have larvae at both water towers still, and about 30ish pupae by the heat cable. 

 

 

 

 

Mine still have a tiny egg pile, however my workers population has barely grown (if at all) in the past several weeks. Your colony is definitely out numbering mine so far!! 

[TacticalHandleGaming]

Well, this colony is still doing well. They have spread the brood all over by the heat cable, and at both water towers. 

 

 

 

[TacticalHandleGaming]

Some photos from last night after feeding the colony some fish food flakes and seeds. 

 

 

 

[TacticalHandleGaming]

This colony is still growing, but has slowed down a touch. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by TacticalHandleGaming, October 21 2021 - 10:59 AM.

[mmcguffi]

wow their granaries are stuffed! I gotta get some chia seeds for my Pogonomyrmex -- yours seem to like them quite a bit

[TacticalHandleGaming]

wow their granaries are stuffed! I gotta get some chia seeds for my Pogonomyrmex -- yours seem to like them quite a bit

Chia, poppy, and dandelion seeds. They didn't care for bird seed or flax seeds when I tried them.

[mmcguffi]

 

wow their granaries are stuffed! I gotta get some chia seeds for my Pogonomyrmex -- yours seem to like them quite a bit

Chia, poppy, and dandelion seeds. They didn't care for bird seed or flax seeds when I tried them.

 

 

Do you have a specific source that you buy from? I'm sure most chia and poppy likely do not have insecticides, but I would guess that many dandelion seeds may be sprayed?

[TacticalHandleGaming]

 

 

wow their granaries are stuffed! I gotta get some chia seeds for my Pogonomyrmex -- yours seem to like them quite a bit

Chia, poppy, and dandelion seeds. They didn't care for bird seed or flax seeds when I tried them.

 

 

Do you have a specific source that you buy from? I'm sure most chia and poppy likely do not have insecticides, but I would guess that many dandelion seeds may be sprayed?

 

I buy organic chia and poppy seeds from the store. The dandelion seeds I get from THA or Amazon. Both of which are also organic.

[TacticalHandleGaming]

This queen is still laying plenty of eggs, and the colony seems to be doing well. Since most of my other colonies are in diapause already, they will be getting more fruit flies than normal in the coming weeks. I expect a big boost in brood from this.

 

 

 

Edited by TacticalHandleGaming, October 31 2021 - 1:48 PM.

[ExponentMars]

So I got the Pogonomyrmex a while back, but quickly learned something about them. They have quite strong mandibles, and were starting to dig in their nest!  

 

So, I quickly ordered a ready to ship Fallen Fortress from THA. It arrived today and I began the moving process. (The Queen moved over very quickly after the first workers made sure the new nest was safe.) I started with a basic white light flashlight, and once the Queen moved over, I switched to my 2w UV black light.

 

 

 

 

 

After several hours of workers going back and forth, we are all moved in! (I did have to dump a lot of their seeds from their old nest in the out world, but still.)

 

 

Ohhh so does blacklight make the ants move faster? 

[TacticalHandleGaming]

Ohhh so does blacklight make the ants move faster? 

 

 

From my experience, yes. 

[TacticalHandleGaming]

Update time. I tried to take good photos of the eggs the queen recently laid, but I've not had the best luck. As predicted, after getting a bunch of fruit flies, they queen has gone into overdrive mode with laying eggs. The cluster of eggs is bigger than a worker currently!

 

 

You can see the eggs being held by a worker on the top left of this next photo. On the wall of the labyrinth. 

 

Edited by TacticalHandleGaming, November 5 2021 - 7:21 AM.

[TacticalHandleGaming]

Short update on the colony. Managed to get a better photo of the egg pile this time. (The very lightly colored worker is by the eggs in the last photo.)

 

 

 

Edited by TacticalHandleGaming, November 11 2021 - 2:31 PM.