11 replies to this topic

[1tsm3jack]

I found my first Camponotus Castaneus queen yesterday, I flipped a rock and her founding chamber was right there, I got her out and checked for any eggs but she had none since I'm guessing she flew just a day or 2 ago. I know they take a while to even get nanitics but how long would that be? And once they get nanitics what should I be feeding the colony? (No pictures because I don't want to disturb her.)

[Artisan_Ants]

I found my first Camponotus Castaneus queen yesterday, I flipped a rock and her founding chamber was right there, I got her out and checked for any eggs but she had none since I'm guessing she flew just a day or 2 ago. I know they take a while to even get nanitics but how long would that be? And once they get nanitics what should I be feeding the colony? (No pictures because I don't want to disturb her.)

You are very lucky. I love this species because of their beautiful color which is unlike any other color I’ve seen before on an ant. To care for her; it’s just like any other Camponotus queen. When she gets workers feed her some honey (only a small drop and just the size of the workers head so they don’t drown). Feed her a protein source (like a mealworm) a mealworm or something small so that they can eat it. Consistently do this so that they may grow at their fastest until there are too many ants and they need to be moved. I suggest moving them into a formicarium like a mini hearth from Tar Heel Ants for example (I house my C. chromaiodes in one Andy they’d love it’s. I have seen significant growth). With the formicarium; you might also want to get ByFormica liquid feeders as they are great for feeding ants over a long period of time. I hope this information helps! Good luck!

[ANTdrew]

Early August is probably when you’ll see nanitics. These ants look really nice, but they are not that exciting to keep.

[1tsm3jack]

How often should I check on her? like once a week or so?

[Artisan_Ants]

Yeah about a week or longer if you can. I check on my founding queens (and generally my colonies) once a week but longer is better. The more time they are in the dark, the better. You want to minimize the stress as much as possible. Good luck!

[CJsAntStuff]

Hello.

I recently bought a Camponotus Casteneus Queen. 

I'm new to ant keeping, but here's what I have so far:

 

April 10 - Arrives in mail with 8 eggs.

May 10 - 3 larve

May 25 - First worker

June 1 - 3 workers

June 10 - 5 workers. Also day 60, so I opened up the tube and fed them some honey/water. 

 

I have them in a tubs-n-tubes for now. Feed them honey/water or fruit and a meal worm twice a week.

The queen seems to be slowing down lately. I'm not sure what's going on.

I try to keep them at 80 F and only grab a picture when I feed them.

I hope this helps some.

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[GOCAMPONOTUS]

Sometimes queens have a pause. It's fine she will keep laying soon.

[ANTdrew]

April 10th- to May 25th is crazy fast for castaneus to go from eggs to workers!

[Mushu]

April 10th- to May 25th is crazy fast for castaneus to go from eggs to workers!

I think most likely it was already hatched and first instar larvae, it’s hard to differentiate at a quick glance sometimes.

[The_Gaming-gate]

I’ve seen from others that Camponotus queens with a small colony tend to lay eggs in batches meaning there will be a pause between egg-laying sessions.

[Stubyvast]

Yes this is a common behavior among camponotus, the queens tend to take breaks and recuperate in between egg-laying, unlike some species which lay eggs around the clock. This is completely normal so don't worry about it! She'll probably begin laying eggs again after a week or so, more or less. Good luck!

[NotAxo]

Yes, with my colony of C. parius (9 workers, 1 queen), she took about a week of rest while the 3rd generation workers pupated. Afterward, she laid about 7-8 eggs. She has paused again, and I believe she will start laying more eggs in a few days or weeks.