4 replies to this topic

[The530Ski]

So I came across a queen 2 seasons ago and the colony is absolutely booming! Does anybody have pictures or videos of setups for their larger tetramorium colonies?

[TacticalHandleGaming]

I guess one could call my colony a bit on the larger side? They are so tiny, it's hard to think of them that way. 

 

 

[The530Ski]

Nice job! How old is the colony?

[TacticalHandleGaming]

Nice job! How old is the colony?

 

A little over a year old. 

[rptraut]

This Tetramorium colony is in its' second season.  The queen started out in the small unit to the right which has chambers formed from grout.  I added the second chamber in the middle this spring.  It is a natural setup with soil for them to make chambers.   There is a rock in the center of the setup so their tunnels are on the outside, which are quite visible despite having no red cellophane or blackout cover.  Originally the second chamber was only half filled with soil, but their excavations have continued to move soil higher and higher.  I used to feed them in this chamber, but eventually I had to add an outworld (on the left) as they continued to pile soil on everything in the second chamber.   At this point, I believe the first (smaller) chamber is where the queen resides with her eggs and young.  They move larger larvae and pupae into the second chamber.   I have no idea how many ants are in this setup but they feed as vigorously as my three year old colony.

 

 

This is my three year old Tetramorium colony.  They are housed in a natural setup, which they just love to dig in.  There is a piece of 2x4 in the center of the container on the right, but their tunnels aren't very visible.  The container was half filled with soil in spring when I "dumped" them in from their founding formicarium.  I used to feed them in this setup, but they moved enough soil on top of everything that I added an outworld with a length of tubing for exercise on the way.  Now the large chamber is entirely nest.