174 replies to this topic

[Gregory2455]

How often did you feed your Solenopsis xyloni when they were this large? I am just curious.

[dspdrew]

If you're talking to me, I usually feed all my ants once a week or so--sometimes less.

[Myrmicinae]

If you're talking to me, I usually feed all my ants once a week or so--sometimes less.

Really? Lately, I have been feeding all of my larger colonies almost daily. My Tetramorium colonies will each reduce two good-sized crickets to nothingness in less than a day.

Edited by Myrmicinae, August 24 2014 - 4:07 PM.

[Gregory2455]

He meant at the stage mine are at. (9-20 Workers)

[dspdrew]

Nah, I meant pretty much all my ants. Where I live it's relatively dry, so I can leave the food in there, which they feed off of for quite some time.

[Gregory2455]

Problem with me doing that is that it would turn into a breeding ground for those mites, just like that mealworm.

Not to mention, they don't seem to be foraging, so they are probably well fed right now, although all the honey I gave them yesterday is gone.

[Gregory2455]

I am going to try to move them, each of them and the brood individually checked for mites- into a new area. I have too much worry for them in this area. I am also going to chill the black ones- I found them up at the Big Bear area, so its probably safe- and try to remove the mites from them too, although the population of mites seems to have gone down a lot.

[dspdrew]

When I removed the mites from my M. testaceus queens, I held them with a piece of soft foam rubber and pulled the mites off with a tweezers.

[Gregory2455]

These are easier to get off, I experimented with the ones on the mealworm. They just slide on off. 

[Gregory2455]

Still no mites viable on any of the Solenopsis xyloni, and they seem to have completely died out of the test tube, but are still in the foraging container on the leftovers, which I got rid of.

 

They also seem to have mostly retreated from the test tube of the black queen, and she seems unphased by the mites on her and energetic as always.

[DesertAntz]

Those damn mites 

[Gregory2455]

Yep, although that's what I get for not sterilizing everything I give them... I think the Solenopsis xyloni can get through it, and even if the black ones die, I have more of them with pupae now, its just a good wake up call.

[Gregory2455]

Update 8/26/2014

Out of the two colonies that have the mites, I will be scanning worker by worker, egg by egg, brood by brood, for any mites, removing them, and taking them out of foraging containers.

I will be moving the Solenopsis xyloni into a home made growth chamber type unit, and the other unfortunate colony with the mites will have to go back to test tube setup quarantine until I can be certain the mites are no more.

[Gregory2455]

They are back in a nice hygienic test tube, but the queen doesn't seem to be doing to well, she just sits on top of the brood with her legs spread... The move definitely stressed her out, I hope she will be ok... 

[dspdrew]

I don't think moving ants does a lot of damage. I rarely let mine move themselves. When it's time to move around here, out comes the barbecue skewer and forceps. It's usually a 2 minute operation.

[Gregory2455]

Yes, I agree, this was just a bit of an emergency, I fed them, and am going to leave them alone for now...

[Alza]

keep dem calm plox

[Gregory2455]

They moved in pretty well, I gave them a termite and sugar water and they seem happy again. 

 

Also, as far as I see, no mites so far. 

[Alza]

where did you get the termites ?! if your in simi valley we are like- right close so where did you find them?!?!?!

[Gregory2455]

They have nuptial flights like ants in my neighborhood, not to mention I have a pool, so I just catch a bunch whenever they fly. Also I am probably going to start a colony with all the ones that didn't quite drown, to use as feeders.