177 replies to this topic

[sgheaton]

UPDATE 7/11 - 9 laying eggs

 

Quickly looked at all of them yesterday. The three that are (unnamed) in the "circle containers" are laying eggs. I only took a picture of one, but you get the idea http://imgur.com/sK1fpfG. I was going to add a tiny piece of my craisin but as I had the container lid off, watching her move her egg pile from one side to underneath the cotton ball.....I realized I should just put her back and leave her be. Maybe should have rewet her cotton ball with two water drops. Oh well. These three are doing their thing and hopefully will be ok. 

...I don't remember how many test tubes I have.....3-4(?), either way, only 75% of them are laying (I remember one hasn't done anything yet. Is just sitting there though she is wingless. I figure she would benefit from some dirt or something.) One still has wings and is laying so who knows http://imgur.com/ttIu1xR. I gave one a small piece of craisin on a foil toothpick piece as I could slide the cotton ball out and back in. Put the tube queens back as well. These will probably be the first to move into a new home as they are in a tube. I'm planning on making a small adapter out of the robber stoppers and simply attach (their)her tubes to  whatever world I end up building. Meh, next!

 

I have a "medium sized dirt circle" container that originally had 3 queens in it. I can only see one as of right now. They weren't doing much so as it was, sometime last week I took a toothpick and dug a center tunnel to the bottom. Pushed one queen down into her new made chamber. Looking in (from underneath) she has a small chamber and a few eggs. She kinda tried to plug the top of the hole by the looks of it. Put the container back with a lil' craisin food on foil for shenanigans, and I dunno...I feel like I need to be doing something. Didn't take a picture of her.

Other container like this I think I'm going to toss out in the yard. I thought I saw movement....not sure...maybe? Its off to the side exposed to the AC world of 77 though. The big jar o'dirt that contained....20-30 queens is still present though I'm not seeing anything. No movement. No chambers. Nothing along the sides. Not sure where they dug, if they did, if they are still alive. I might keep this just out of curiosity though it will probably be released as well. 

 

(Z) and (V) forgot which one was which. I'll need to actually put labels on them. ...Hard to tell but their egg piles look like lil' larva now(?). Didn't take pictures of them as I only look at them from underneath, detect movement, and put them back. I'm trying to be more patient with them so I won't be looking in on them for a few days....hopefully...but as these are my two oldest and have their own chambers separated rather well, I refreshed their water and gave them the foil tray of craisin mush in separate containers. I feel as though I need to be doing something for them.... I don't think they even come to the surface...appears their holes are plugged for protection. Really just need to play the waiting game.

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Grabbed some things around the house to test out their usefulness. Actually had three different tiles in the basement which I'm testing now http://imgur.com/xQPYcHz. Drews simple idea - Water through a sponge up the back side. If the cotton balls become wet on front, water has successfully diffused through the tile in which case I'd use it as my backing. Those are pictures from yesterday (didn't grab this mornings) but there is more water in the pizza tray and the cotton balls remained dry - http://imgur.com/3NTfKOK. This particular tile might not work so I'll probably swap it out with one of the others when I get home.

 

UPDATE/EDIT

Da hell is unglazed tile? Not this http://imgur.com/3sxD9hy. All three tiles I found in my house didn't do what I wanted. Didn't do anything really. This...was kinda to be expecting considering they feel like straight stone/rock. Was just hopin' to get lucky that I wouldn't have to buy something. Oh well, I'll swing by homedepot and ask them for what I need....

Edited by sgheaton, July 12 2016 - 6:09 AM.

[Kevin]

So what container would you recommend to start them out? A test tube or the bead organizer jar thing?

[sgheaton]

After having some of both I feel like it really depends - ultimately on whatever supplies you end up finding around your house. I personally prefer the dirt boxes as I think the queens benefit more from that kind of environment though I am a nobody in this anting game. I just used items that were around my house and work. Didn't want to have to buy "a jar".

 

 

Test tubes allow
-Very easy to see into. "Yup, there's the queen. There is her pile of eggs." 

-Tiny and compact

-Quick and easy - Cotton ball + water = yer done!

 

However

-They can break

-Limited on "area" - If you have a fully or semi-claustal queen you'll need to have an open foraging container 

 

I didn't put this in there because I believe I'm just anthropomorphizing but she's just kinda out in the open. Yes she is protected in the container, but there's nothing to protect her. I'm just being silly... 

 

Organizer thing-thang provides

-Protection - The tool/bead organizer allowed for some more room and space. I filled them with dirt and the queens I've put in there seem to really have taken to it. I personally felt that these were "better protected" than just the open freedom of "tube space".

-Won't break like glass tubes.

-Could essentially put different queens in the chambers though I ineffectively have 1 queen per box.

-Other chambers will be used as a small foraging chamber in the meantime.

 

CONS
-Rather difficult to locate the queens. - Some of the containers are opaque so it's a little tricky seeing movement inside. Can locate chambers easily enough and then I usually just notice the "egg cluster" moving around (due to it being in her mandibles) that I call it good and put them back.

-The lid.....I'm thought about this for awhile.. Eventually I won't be able to open it. I mean they are going to be walking all over. I should transfer them over before that happens though.

 

 

Truthfully I just used what I had laying around. It all came down to that really. I had a few in some glass (flower) vases for awhile until I could transfer them into a test tube or one of the boxes. I took a jar of cat treats I had sitting on the table, dumped them on the floor, and put a queen in it instead. I'm pretty sure the plastic jar things I'm using from work are for the "pee in this container" kinda deal. I view the whole capturing a queen like you're doing a test for a bad TV show - "Will she lay?!". Once you confirm you've got a fertile queen, then you can start worrying about the next dwelling. I think the key is to remember that its simply the "starting area" and won't/shouldn't be the final set up. Finally, it should be fairly easy to transfer the new colony to the next dwelling.

 

That is my take on it so far though that's only based on my tetramorium knowledge of....3 weeks? 

[sgheaton]

UPDATE 7/14/16 - 9 (maybe 11) tetramorium queens layin' eggs

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Decided to peek in on my harem of queens. All were doing well - no issues yet. Those in the tinier circle dirt jars have nice chambers with egg piles of about 20. Refreshed their cotton balls with some clean water from a dropper. The test tube queens are all well - the one in question has removed one wing so..that's something(?). Those in the chamber are doing well. Its rather funny.....the one that I megalight with my phone light has....dirtied up the side/bottom of her space as if to make it stop. I actually laughed out loud at what I saw when I looked in at (Z). 

 

My original concern with the test tubes was that I would drown her in the cotton wall of wetness - hence the tool-organizing chambers. (Z) went ahead and moved everything out of her nicely made chamber...and put it all right behind the cotton ball. Mind you the other side had "damp" earth and the cotton ball was plenty moist. I figured she thought her eggs needed more moisture and thus moved em closer to the source. http://imgur.com/uqOng4b

[sgheaton]

UPDATE - 7/18/16 - 9 or 11 tetramorium queens egg layin'

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Egg piles have become egg clutches. Lil' amberish coloring to some. Check, check, check, all are fine and doin'' well. All are alive with egg piles.

 

Took and set up a glass vase exactly like PTs as I love the simplicity of it - Not having to buy an acrylic cylinder from MSC-Direct and then set the internal diameter by means of PVC-like material from Home Depot....all plans for what I'm doing...But instead just have to drill a hole. That's it. Plane and simple. And I really, really like it's clean professional look that glass gives. Anyways I got that done on Friday, attached a test tube over the weekend.....dumb [censored] didn't move or do anything the whole time! So back she goes. Swapped her out with one of the tiny circle containers .....and this queen has just been staring at her egg pile the whole time! Sure its been a day...but the whole world is open behind her...and..she doesn't seem to notice or care.  This set up is in my "gaming room" closet so I can monitor (in controlled darkness) to add water.....or to dump her into dig mode.. I mean...her container suuucks compared to the somewhat-infinite possibilities of digging!!! Didn't take pictures. Going to let this one sit in the closet for the next few days. The others int his closet have big egg piles. 

 

 Time to start workin' on some building material research

 

Grabbed some tiny fish tanks from garage sales this weekend. Need to buy some.....grout.. supplies..

Edited by dspdrew, October 19 2016 - 12:35 AM.
Removed profanity

[sgheaton]

Update 7/19/16

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Still in her lil plastic cup...silly girl... added water this morning when it was dark. That was it. I suppose I forgot to mention that through half frustration/half trying to clean the little bit of stray sand clinging to the side, when adding water to PTs vase - http://imgur.com/h64tjoC, the hive queen sensed that there was water raining from...the outside and the lid was off?!

 

Driving into work though, right between two fields, damn queen dropped on my windshield. I couldn't reach for my container as I decided to take a picture of her instead. Well going along at 40 mphs will knock you away after 10 seconds so...... It looked like another Tetra so I didn't freak out too heavily. Just gotta stop finding that species of ant. 

 

Edited - 7/20

When I got home and slid the door open to add water, she FINALLY moved out of the cup and started to dig her chamber! http://imgur.com/mZDdfibAll others were alive and well - just residing in not fun containers. 

 

-Then this morning she had dug about a dime sized chamber and had a good sized egg pile against the side of the glass. My picture came out blurry so I'm not going to bother posting it. She's off and well and will be checked on periodically as the water trough AKA petri dish is tiny. Still need to work on a lid. Need to buy some mesh screen. 

-Talking with local glass company to quote a window frame design for the Pogonomyrmex queen I don't have yet. I'll post my [censored] MS Paint sketch based off of Drews traded for Pogonomyrmex-window-pane stlye tank now! - http://imgur.com/gTLkDo5

Edited by sgheaton, July 20 2016 - 6:01 AM.

[sgheaton]

UPDATE 7/21/16 - Tetras a'plenty
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I'm a little backwards in that I'm reporting my findings that I saw yesterday, but calling it today because I quickly looked in on things this morning. 

-First of all, this is a picture from yesterday because I didn't do one this morning though I should have because she changes her set up so much in 12 hours. The hive queen has a dime sized chamber right up against the glass. Her eggs are there as well in a big clump. The whole "dirt mass" is wet and so I didn't need to add water. Good deal. I can leave her alone for a few days now to see how she really takes off. Removed her original plastic container from the vase. Time to wait.

-Looked in on the two dirt containers that had three queens each. Well...I can..see multiple chambers now. PICTURE - Before I could only see one and she's doing great! Now I can see two chambers in both. I want to say I saw three but I don't remember...But...these are doing..great. Being as the hive queen and now...whatever the hell I'm going to call these ...are in the same closet, closing the door and waiting for a day. Maybe two if I can wait but seriously..I'll probably quickly look in at the queen when I get home after work. 

-I'm saying I've got two dudes in my test tubes. Though they did remove their wings in the tubes, I haven't seen any eggs being amassed. Going to release these two into the neighbors yard, clean the tubes for some potential Pogonomyrmex if I ever get off my lazy [censored] and go find them. The others in the plastic containers are very active but have smaller egg piles to those in the dirt set ups ((A) and (V)). Should probably name the other one in the dirt... Movement in all the other containers so without changing water or taking pictures I put them all back. 

 

-Because there are chambers now in the tiny dirt set ups I quickly threw together...I question that there still might be a bunch in the mega jar. While I really should just go dump it in the neighbors yard as well.....part of me wants to keep monitoring it to see what/how many actually come out of there... 

[sgheaton]

UPDATE 7/25/16 - Tetramorium - No workers

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I have tetra-queens and they are doing well. Nothing to report. Hive queen has a fun hill action going in her container otherwise that's it. Briefly looked in on all yesterday evening to confirm movement. Found a really cool...completely devoid of a hydration system and super duper thick....glass cube from walmart for $6. So I don't have to get rid of another queen, gonna probably dump one in here for shennani - Going to...maybe micro...manage it somehow. Otherwise came up with some [censored] plans on an extra tank I had laying around. 

[sgheaton]

7/26/16 - Hive queen Photo

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She's just doin'' her thing - http://imgur.com/qbO12XN

[sgheaton]

8/2/16 - Nothing eclosed yet

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Sad face ya'll. Nothing has developed except for bigger piles of eggs. http://imgur.com/qYB3AcN

 

Hive queen is good in PTs vase. The others are fine and dandy doin'' their thing. No workers yet though....meh. It's fine cause I haven't molded their nest yet. 

[sgheaton]

Was out in my front yard sprayin' some revive chemical on it....when I noticed my neighbors ant collection just hangin' out... and 

Edited by sgheaton, August 3 2016 - 5:15 AM.

[Okeedoke22]

Hey,

 

What temperature are they being kept at?  I think we found ours at the same time but all my Queens have about 10-15. Some I boosted and have 20-30. The room they are in is a solid 80F all the time.  I think they love the heat. 

[XZero38]

That good sir is an ant war that you have found.

 

I would say put them in the garage, I moved 6 of my Pogonomyrmex queens into the garage and they seem to like it better in there as well. much more of a constant temp during the day

[sgheaton]

I've got my tetras split between two rooms upstairs. Truthfully no heating method being used yet besides the ambient hot air of summer time in Colorado. And as that is, I run my AC at 77ish. The temperature gauge in that room hangs around at 79 +3/4 degrees.  The gaming room has its gauge showing 83+ during the day. Its currently harboring half of my ants. I would agree that a better controlled system to regulate heat would significantly help out with things.

Its been noticed that those (tetras) in the dirt set ups have slowed down compared to those in the glass tubes. Didn't take a picture of them yesterday but they were really starting to turn color. I'm expecting for those in the "clean set ups" to eclose before those in the dirt set ups - which was opposite from my previous hypothesis. If I were to place a bet -- I would imagine that I'll have workers in the test containers before the bead/dirt boxes. 

 

The hive queen in her own PT vase has a nice chamber nest zone dug and a pile of eggs growing. I've tried to explain to them that whomever gets the first worker will get brood boosted by the others as that was the universal agreement we all decided upon when I started to care for them in my closet....

[Saftron]

My tetra queen was caught on July 6th and she is set to have her first workers next week. I just put a heating lamp over her 3 days ago when I saw that some of her larvae became Pupae. Lol would it be illegal to send ant brood from different states because if its not I would buy some brood from you (only if you would be willing to sell brood)

[sgheaton]

I'm not willing to find out. My state already...has boarder control problems. I'll try moving some into the garage today and compare them to those left in the room. 

[sgheaton]

Editing previous post as it was just an eager announcement of my observation of workers. 
 

8/8/2016 - Six queens have workers!

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When I got home from work on Friday, I looked in on a test tube queen and saw that she had workers! Not really taking note but the others had them as well... Closed everything up and left them in the dark. Went and ordered a heating wire and some other things from amazon I've been wanting. Amazon gift cards for the win! 

 

I looked in on everything this morning just to get pictures of everything.

Six of the tetra queens have 5-8 workers each. 

http://imgur.com/AR5pqqV

http://imgur.com/FrrzCDl

 

The hive queen still has her egg pile with no workers yet.

 

QUESTIONS

1 - Do people prefer pictures to come up automatically on pages or be links that you need to click?
2 - In the absence of a queen, will the nanitic workers of one colony accept the other nanitic workers? ... I'm planning on essentially removing the queens, gathering the brood on a wet q-tip of possible, and dump all the workers with one single queen in a container. Is this the process of going about this?

Edited by sgheaton, August 8 2016 - 5:03 AM.

[sgheaton]

8/11/2016 - 3 in the freezer

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Heck, at this point I'm just using these posts as a record I can fall back on to as to when things happened. 
Poured some hydrostone in a frame for small dwelling #1 last night. Round 1 was 1/4" so I did a lil more and its looking like 1/2" now. Didn't bust out the calipers, but I'll start dremel and sanding work today probably. I'm basing the tetra tank off of Smiles set up with a few modifications. When it comes time to implement those, I'll do some pictures. But for now, I feel like there are enough pictures of people doin'' this method that my actual process isn't going to be posted unless requested.

 

Started consolidating a few of everyone together. With the Pogonomyrmex queen out of the Tupperware, I haven't cleaned it yet.....became the perfect new catching home device. I slowly ..tried to...gently...well I basically dumped (Z) with her brood and eggs from her tool/bead box into the new container. Panic ensued immediately. Everyone grabbed what they could and scattered. Taking the previous chamber I made for the previous queen, I put the new one in there and put it away. Then I took one of the jar containers and using a spatula tool, well the queen attacked(?) it so I didn't have to do much. Easily separated her from her children, whom I set inside the Tupperware, and put into one of the empty tool/bead container spots. Did this with two other containers before finally putting the 3 in my freezer...which...I...realize now are still there.. Each container had....<12 workers. Didn't bother to count what's going on - figured they were stressed enough. Loaded up one of the feeders with a couple drops and put them in the closet in the (hotter) room. I'm going to wait a few days before re-examining them. I'm hoping that they moved the remaining broods together into one grouping. Also that everyone got along and accepted the new and only queen as their supreme ruler. 

 

The Hive Queen is starting to have her egg cluster turn amber in color. Kinda forgot about her that I'd like to brood boost her with another of my containers but I can't get down to her in the dirt. I'm going to wait until there is surface action and I'll try to introduce a new group. 

Zero's feedin' his so I'll follow suit and do as well, which after giving some nectar to one of the containers...had the whole crew on it. Probably needed to have given them some sooner if they were born last weekend and it was Wednesday. Don't know ....how...what ants..digestive... Like this queen didn't need food all during her egg laying and yet my Pogonomyrmex is out and about..bringing dirt back into the tunnel??

[XZero38]

8/11/2016 - 3 in the freezer

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Heck, at this point I'm just using these posts as a record I can fall back on to as to when things happened. 
Poured some hydrostone in a frame for small dwelling #1 last night. Round 1 was 1/4" so I did a lil more and its looking like 1/2" now. Didn't bust out the calipers, but I'll start dremel and sanding work today probably. I'm basing the tetra tank off of Smiles set up with a few modifications. When it comes time to implement those, I'll do some pictures. But for now, I feel like there are enough pictures of people doin'' this method that my actual process isn't going to be posted unless requested.

 

Started consolidating a few of everyone together. With the Pogonomyrmex queen out of the Tupperware, I haven't cleaned it yet.....became the perfect new catching home device. I slowly ..tried to...gently...well I basically dumped (Z) with her brood and eggs from her tool/bead box into the new container. Panic ensued immediately. Everyone grabbed what they could and scattered. Taking the previous chamber I made for the previous queen, I put the new one in there and put it away. Then I took one of the jar containers and using a spatula tool, well the queen attacked(?) it so I didn't have to do much. Easily separated her from her children, whom I set inside the Tupperware, and put into one of the empty tool/bead container spots. Did this with two other containers before finally putting the 3 in my freezer...which...I...realize now are still there.. Each container had....<12 workers. Didn't bother to count what's going on - figured they were stressed enough. Loaded up one of the feeders with a couple drops and put them in the closet in the (hotter) room. I'm going to wait a few days before re-examining them. I'm hoping that they moved the remaining broods together into one grouping. Also that everyone got along and accepted the new and only queen as their supreme ruler. 

 

The Hive Queen is starting to have her egg cluster turn amber in color. Kinda forgot about her that I'd like to brood boost her with another of my containers but I can't get down to her in the dirt. I'm going to wait until there is surface action and I'll try to introduce a new group. 

Zero's feedin' his so I'll follow suit and do as well, which after giving some nectar to one of the containers...had the whole crew on it. Probably needed to have given them some sooner if they were born last weekend and it was Wednesday. Don't know ....how...what ants..digestive... Like this queen didn't need food all during her egg laying and yet my Pogonomyrmex is out and about..bringing dirt back into the tunnel??

The Pogonomyrmex is probably trying to close herself in the chamber where her eggs are, mine do that as well. They will stay in the tube for days then come out and look for more food.

[sgheaton]

8/12/2016 - 7 queens into the next life
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Forgot the sandpaper at work so I wasn't able to polish the nest yet. that's what weekend projects are for!

 

Opened the container of tetras to view the situation. Someone moved all the brood out of the containers to.. Liquid feeder looked good. 2 workers out and about... Decided to move over some more of the other broods I've got growing. Taking one of those metal spatulas that is used to weigh out granulated stuff in laboratory settings - well that was my tool. I slowly began to remove dirt from specimen (V) only to find her dead. Not sure why/what/she has been the only queen to have died. Easily gathered her egg pile she had and placed it in front of the foil chamber tube the TuppaTetras have. Tried to get the other egg piles from some other queen containers though these were smaller in size. Wanting to make sure they were ok, I decided to take off the foil lid on their tube.

Well lets just dirty up the place with sand! - cause it was everywhere. The mysterious egg piles and brood from other containers clearly made their way in here as the bottom/backside of the tube is a wall of brood. Put the cover on and gently put them back. Of course some workers came out to inspect what the heck was goin on..that they found the new brood eggs that I placed by their entrance. Was really awesome (took a video) watching them bring the eggs into the foil tube. It was such a big mass that watching the one tiny ant move the entire pile was impressive, until they started to break it apart in smaller chunks. One by...mixture of 3-4 they started to move them in. Deciding that they were going to get it all taken care of, closed the box and put them back in the closet with the others. 

 

I'm down to 3 tetramorium queens in solo containers with <15 workers + the hive queen + the TuppaTetras with queen (Z).