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BCAntKeeper's Tetramorium immigrans Journal


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#1 Offline BCAntKeeper - Posted May 28 2022 - 6:40 PM

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This journal is about a single Tetramorium queen I caught in July 2020. Here are some pictures of the queen just after capture and the colony a few months later.
 
IMG_0836 copy.JPG
Tetramorium After First Hibernation.JPG
 
They have maintained 500-1000 workers for the past year or so and seem quite healthy. I have noticed some interesting behaviours such as moving things around and rejecting certain foods off and on. This year they are accepting everything I give them but are not growing as fast as expected. This started last summer. During the stage that they were growing faster, I saw the occasional fight between workers, and a few died as a result. Quite a few died during hibernation this year as well. Other than an unnatural living space, I try to give my ants ideal conditions and not skimp any aspect of their care, so I am guessing the queen may just have weak genetics. I am new to ant keeping though so opinions would still be appreciated. 
 
Here are some pictures from this year (the last picture makes the colony look smaller than it really is).
 
DSC_3671.JPG
Screen Shot 2022-05-28 at 7.36.14 PM.jpg

  • m99, Leptomyrmx and lazyant like this
Keeping: Formica aserva, Lasius pallitarsis, Tetramorium immigrans, Camponotus novaeboracensis
 
Have kept: Camponotus modoc

#2 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 29 2022 - 2:04 AM

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What temperature are they kept at? What are you feeding them?
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#3 Offline BCAntKeeper - Posted May 29 2022 - 8:07 AM

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What temperature are they kept at? What are you feeding them?

They are kept in a room that is 25-26°C and fed mainly insects/spiders for protein. Also, a tray with seeds and nuts is available at all times. I feed them a wide variety in each of these categories and always make sure they have as much as they want. I also give them some bread, meat, pet food, egg etc. They have access to sunburst, maple syrup, and honey for carbohydrates. I try to make sure none of these foods have chemicals that can harm the colony.


  • lazyant likes this
Keeping: Formica aserva, Lasius pallitarsis, Tetramorium immigrans, Camponotus novaeboracensis
 
Have kept: Camponotus modoc

#4 Offline UTants - Posted May 29 2022 - 8:19 AM

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How is your colony so big? I tried to keep tetramorium immigrants but they still were a small colony even after months. They died in hibernation though.😔
UTants

#5 Offline BCAntKeeper - Posted July 22 2022 - 8:53 PM

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This colony is slowly getting bigger at the same rate that it has been. I can't post my video for some reason, but I will try and find a way to do it in the future.


Edited by BCAntKeeper, July 22 2022 - 9:03 PM.

Keeping: Formica aserva, Lasius pallitarsis, Tetramorium immigrans, Camponotus novaeboracensis
 
Have kept: Camponotus modoc

#6 Offline BCAntKeeper - Posted March 19 2023 - 8:52 PM

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Taken out of hibernation yesterday. They are doing well and are busy cleaning their nest.


Keeping: Formica aserva, Lasius pallitarsis, Tetramorium immigrans, Camponotus novaeboracensis
 
Have kept: Camponotus modoc

#7 Offline aznphenom - Posted March 20 2023 - 7:48 AM

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I don't heat mine and I don't hibernate mine and mine are big and healthy. I am actually in the process of moving them to a new nest. I would be happy if they stay around 1k. I don't like forever exponential growing species


Keeps: Camponotus, Tetra
 

Wants (Please reach out if you have them for sale if you’re in the US): Acromyrmex Sp., Atta Sp., Cephalotes Sp., Myrmecocystus Sp (Prefer Mexicanus), Odontomachus Sp. (Prefer Desertorum), Pachycondyla Sp., Pheidole Sp (Prefer Rhea. The bigger the better. Not the tiny bicarinata), Pogonomyrmex Sp (Prefer Badius)., Pseudomyrmex Sp. (Prefer the cute yellow ones)

 


#8 Offline BCAntKeeper - Posted April 16 2023 - 9:40 PM

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Interesting how my colonies behave so differently year after year despite the same care. This year 30% of the workers have been living in the outworld even though they have plenty of room in the nest. They only retreat when I remove their food.


Keeping: Formica aserva, Lasius pallitarsis, Tetramorium immigrans, Camponotus novaeboracensis
 
Have kept: Camponotus modoc

#9 Offline DRpepper - Posted April 21 2023 - 5:25 AM

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What temperature are they kept at? What are you feeding them?

They are kept in a room that is 25-26°C and fed mainly insects/spiders for protein. Also, a tray with seeds and nuts is available at all times. I feed them a wide variety in each of these categories and always make sure they have as much as they want. I also give them some bread, meat, pet food, egg etc. They have access to sunburst, maple syrup, and honey for carbohydrates. I try to make sure none of these foods have chemicals that can harm the colony.

 

 sounds like the queen is just bad. or possibly you are lacking in their care in some way. food and heat seems covered. What about water



#10 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 21 2023 - 9:10 AM

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You’re responding to a year old post…
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#11 Offline BCAntKeeper - Posted July 22 2023 - 9:46 AM

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This colony just hit 3 years old and they are well over 5K now. There is about a teaspoon of brood in the nest, which they are not far from outgrowing. A slight improvement from the last few months but the queen still isn’t much of an egg layer. They do eat multiple insects per day in addition to a liquid feeder and a big seed/nut tray in their outworld most of the time.


  • AntsCali098 likes this
Keeping: Formica aserva, Lasius pallitarsis, Tetramorium immigrans, Camponotus novaeboracensis
 
Have kept: Camponotus modoc

#12 Offline AntsCali098 - Posted July 22 2023 - 10:03 AM

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My colony just...doesn't grow. They've been at 50-60 workers for a while I can't figure it out. Nice colony though, would love to see some pics.

Interested buying in ants? Feel free to check out my shop

Feel free to read my journals, like this one.

 

Wishlist:

Atta sp (wish they were in CA), Crematogaster cerasi, Most Pheidole species

 

 


#13 Offline BCAntKeeper - Posted December 30 2023 - 10:06 AM

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Put into hibernation last weekend. 


  • 100lols likes this
Keeping: Formica aserva, Lasius pallitarsis, Tetramorium immigrans, Camponotus novaeboracensis
 
Have kept: Camponotus modoc

#14 Offline Invix - Posted December 31 2023 - 5:40 PM

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This journal is about a single Tetramorium queen I caught in July 2020. Here are some pictures of the queen just after capture and the colony a few months later.

IMG_0836 copy.JPG
Tetramorium After First Hibernation.JPG

They have maintained 500-1000 workers for the past year or so and seem quite healthy. I have noticed some interesting behaviours such as moving things around and rejecting certain foods off and on. This year they are accepting everything I give them but are not growing as fast as expected. This started last summer. During the stage that they were growing faster, I saw the occasional fight between workers, and a few died as a result. Quite a few died during hibernation this year as well. Other than an unnatural living space, I try to give my ants ideal conditions and not skimp any aspect of their care, so I am guessing the queen may just have weak genetics. I am new to ant keeping though so opinions would still be appreciated.

Here are some pictures from this year (the last picture makes the colony look smaller than it really is).

DSC_3671.JPG
Screen Shot 2022-05-28 at 7.36.14 PM.jpg


One of my tetra colonies is a year old and about that size but they already have alates some how




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