31 replies to this topic

[dboeren]

Keep my Campnotus floridanus colony healthy and growing.  Once they outgrow their Mini-Hearth I will consider picking up a second colony but don't know what yet.

[Izzy]

I was telling my family about my ant goals and my own mother laughed at me and told me I was probably the only person who had "ant goals", so I'm excited to see that I am most definitely not! Haha!

1. Catch a Myrmecocystus queen. I found what I believe are some colonies last season but was unable to find a queen. I plan to look there after some rain during the summer. All the ones I buy randomly die for no reason.

2. Catch a Myrmica or Manica queen. I haven't seen anyone in Utah talking about them but they seem to be here based on past research. Something about them just intrigues me.

3. Hopefully find a Pogonomyrmex Rugosus queen. I think I found a colony last year as well but I'm not sure and am second guessing myself now.

4. Find at least 1 Cryptic Ant species, and a queen if I can.

5. Create a functioning and successful formicarium out of Perfect cast that I can reproduce for my own needs.

6. Find more Solenopsis molesta queens. I found 5 polygynous queens under a rock together towards the end of the year but they all mysteriously died in their formicarium. Not happy!

7. Get one (hopefully both) of my Camponotus sansabeanus colonies to survive to the end of the year. I want majors, dang it!

 

Then obvious ones like keep all the colonies I have currently alive and flourishing if possible.
 

Edited by Izzy, February 26 2024 - 10:36 PM.

[cooIboyJ]

I want to catch a camponotus species

[michiganantsinmyyard]

My main goal is to capture and get a Lasius murphyi queen to workers. Secondary goals will be the perfection of keeping parasitic ants.

[Ernteameise]

Well, my first goal has already been reached- I moved my colonies to new nests!

I am especially happy with the custom nest from TarHeel ants for my large Messor barbarus colony. It looks amazing.

Now I want to watch them settle in, and grow and take over all that new space.

 

Further, I want to see my two founder colonies (Lasius niger and Camponotus piceus) grow into nice flourishing colonies this year. Let us see if I am able to raise a Lasius niger colony from that queen that I collected from the work parking lot last year.

 

In further news, I will be giving lectures on ant keeping and ant health at veterinary conferences (I will also continue to do so next year, as it looks like now). So this year, I will be going to the first invertebrate medicine conference in the UK, and also talk to the German exotics vets. I really hope I can spread the ant love to the veterinary profession. So being a good messenger for the hobby and spreading the love is another important goal for me this year.

 

I still have so much to learn, so this is learning by doing.

Plus, with these new nests from TarHeel Ants, my ant corner in the loving room now looks so much cooler and is a definite eye-catcher.

 

[Antz_Straya]

i want to
grow my colonies larger 

successfully found my myrmecia queens

i want to go and find some camponotus inflatus queens 

and grow my youtube channel

(edit: and get some pheidole au02 queens)

Edited by Antz_Straya, March 31 2024 - 5:09 PM.

[Virginian_ants]

My goal is to get a large colony with 1000+ workers but I'm probably not gonna make it.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

My goal is to explore the diversity of ants all across the USA, and of course to keep my colonies healthy

[Locness]

Kill less than $100 worth of queens.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

I shlould have added that lol

[Antguy]

Grow my aservas to over 500 workers, get all of my pacificas to over 200 workers, have my modocs get more alates and more workers and keep all my other colonies growing.

[Antguy]

And also not missing obscuripes flights again