81 replies to this topic

[Shazza]

Checked the queen today to make sure she has settled after the move, and great news. I can see a second cocoon has spun and there also may be a new batch of eggs as well. It Was hard to tell and I didn't have my phone to take a photo and zoom in but I'm 90% confident there is.

Hopefully not long now and we will have our first workers!!!

[Shazza]

3 cocoons now and 1 of them is getting fairly dark, hopefully not long now before I get my first nanantics. The rest of the Larvae is growing well.

No sign of the eggs that I thought I had seen though. I didn't want to pick the test tube up to have a good look so I am hoping that they are hidden.

The weather had started to warm up here but we have gone back to winter temperatures again so she may slow down. With the small heat mat she doesn't get below 19deg celcius. Outside gets down to 6 or 7 at night. 24 during the day at the moment.

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[Shazza]

Realy quick update as not a great deal has changed, larvae are getting big and 5 cocoons in total now.

Hopefully we will have workers soon!!!

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[ZTYguy]

Can’t wait for the first gen! I love how this species looks.

[ANTdrew]

I had the idea that Australia was hot all the time, guess not.

[Shazza]

Ye I thought I would have one worker by now. The waiting is killing me

It gets cold in some places in winter. But mainly I would call it a mild winter in most of Australia when you compare it to the Americas or Europe. When it does get cold it warms up in the day

Edited by Shazza, September 4 2021 - 2:13 PM.

[Shazza]

One realy dark cocoon so hopefully this week we will have our first worker.

Queen has always loved a bit of sugar water on the end of cotton bud, I tried a small amount of organic honey and she flipped out and attacked it. Strange she didn't like it

Just a couple of the usual pics of brood.

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[ANTdrew]

You should have your first worker in 48 hours or less.

[Shazza]

You should have your first worker in 48 hours or less.

Bang on the money, Snuck in a quick look before work today to check she was ok..... and first worker has arrived.

I will try and get a photo tonight if I have time.

[PetsNotPests]

 

You should have your first worker in 48 hours or less.

Bang on the money, Snuck in a quick look before work today to check she was ok..... and first worker has arrived.

I will try and get a photo tonight if I have time.

 

[Shazza]

As promised a few photos, sorry it's hard to get a close up with my phone. 1 photo shows a good size comparison

I'm surprised I hadn't thought of this earlier as well, I stuck a cotton bud in another cotton plug. This enabled me to quickly switch it in to the tube. It holds it centred and securely. Once they had stopped feeding you just switch it back over.

Queen didn't like it at first but soon realised it was the sugar water she loved. Worker did not go near it and stayed with the brood.

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Edited by Shazza, September 13 2021 - 12:36 AM.

[JCRHJM]

looking forward to when they get some majors

[Shazza]

looking forward to when they get some majors

Ye, it will be great if I can get the colony to succeed and get majors. Next hurdle is to get some fresh eggs layed

Edited by Shazza, September 24 2021 - 4:01 PM.

[Shazza]

Quick update, no new worker, but looking at one of the cocoons under the Queen it will be very soon.

Other cocoons are starting to darken as well. I am going away for a week, hopefully when I return there will be enough workers that they show signs of wanting to get out so I can start properly feeding them

It is starting to heat up here in Australia so I have moved them in to cooler room while the house is shut up while we are not here. Hopefly the moove does not upset them to much.

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[Shazza]

Did a quick sugar water feed and a check to make sure they are ok in the new spo. what I thought had been small pupae, look like a new batch off eggs!!!! Sigh of relief as these are the first eggs she has laid. When I got her she already had all the pupae and hardly any eggs.

The worker also took the sugar water, last time it did not want anything to do with it. I only gave then a tiny to get them through untill I get back. When I removed it they kept looking for more so I guess that's a good sign

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[Shazza]

Got back from a week away we now have 3 worker's. More cocoons are about to hatch as well.

I got my old Ytong nest out that I have used in the past. I put it in the freezer for a few hours, vaccumed and washed it multiple times. I could not find much info on sterilising used nests so I hope its enough.

I will be blocking the nest entrances off and just placing the test tube in the outworld for now.

Worker's are starting to explore the cotton plug so I think they are wanting food.

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Edited by Shazza, October 3 2021 - 10:27 PM.

[JCRHJM]

freezing won't kill pathogens, washing with warm water should do the trick if there wasn't a deadly outbreak in the last inhabitants. 

[Shazza]

No thank fully, last colony got stressed. I soked it in hot water for a while and washed and scrubbed 3 times in more hot water. Fingers crossed

Can't be to bad as I let it dry with the lid off and had a wild colony trying to move in already haha

Edited by Shazza, October 4 2021 - 1:18 AM.

[Shazza]

Opened the tube up and as expected they all reacted by putting the brood at the water end of the tube.

After settling down the Queen and 2 stayed on guard while one tried to close the tube up again.

Once it found the sugar water though it quickly filled up and feed the the others. They are all settled and happy girls

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[Shazza]

Ok strange,I am hoping some one can chime in and say if I need to worry or not or they will sort them selves out.

I checked on them today and the Queen has moved herself and the brood in to the outworld. All of the workers have stayed in the test tube.

I am guessing it's ok as there is nothing to harm her and she has moved everything to an area more faverouble?

Her chosen spot is next to the ytong nest that is very damp from soaking in water.

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