120 replies to this topic

[Mads]

In typical Alberta fashion we went from beautiful sunny +20 (70 degrees Fahrenheit) to freezing in about 4 hours. The ants didn't have time to switch modes yet! We even set snowfall records for our area for the 8th of September, so it was a bit out of character for the time of year, even for Alberta! I would think another month or so of decent fall weather before we have to worry about serious long term cold. Found her under a loose lump of sod sitting on the road out to the field.

 

Mads

[Mercutia]

It's starting to feel like October here too already. We usually have a few warm days at the beginning of September but so far the cold has been pretty uncharacteristic. And P. imparis are out walking about so you really know winter is coming. xD

[dermy]

Yeah I hear ya in Saskatchewan it was like 26 C last year today it's 11 C with a cold wind.

 

My Goals:

1- Make it through winter without going insane

2- Force a colony to stay awake all winter

3- Successfully Hibernate a colony or two

4- Continue on with my Solo-Species ant keeping of only one species [because that's all I can find]

5- Stay up later then 5am [okay that's not really ant related but still, 4am is too early for sleep! :D]

[Crystals]

Yeah I hear ya in Saskatchewan it was like 26 C last year today it's 11 C with a cold wind.

 

My Goals:

1- Make it through winter without going insane

2- Force a colony to stay awake all winter

3- Successfully Hibernate a colony or two

4- Continue on with my Solo-Species ant keeping of only one species [because that's all I can find]

5- Stay up later then 5am [okay that's not really ant related but still, 4am is too early for sleep! :D]

1. Easy - stay on this forum and enjoy a winter sport outside at least once a week (snowmen, snowball fights, skiing, you pick). 

2. Lasius is the easiest, they seem to resist hibernation.

3. Just try to keep a Camponotus colony from hibernating.    Mine go into hibernation when it snows, regardless if they are at 26C or not...

4.  Not sure I can help with that...

5. ok...  I get up at 6am, Unless I get a night shift, if I am still awake at 5am I am either crazy or ill.

[dspdrew]

Noooo! If you find any more, I would suggest accidentally dropping them in a package headed for my house.

It was unbelievably small, I think 2 mm if I remember right. 2 mm queen!

[Gregory2455]

You told me that before Drew, the day you did it and found out it was a queen. 

[Gregory2455]

Pheidole vistana

Still searching?

 

 

Camponotus quercicola

Thought you had some?

 

 

Oh, and to build a really nice cabinet to hold all these ants.

Just ONE cabinet?

[DesertAntz]

My main goal is to start my first colony! 

 

I'm not too concerned about looking for a specific species to care for. If I see some queens, I'm going to snatch them up. 

 

I currently have 4 Dorymyrmex bicolor queens that are doing well so far. They were caught on August 22, 2014. 

[Gregory2455]

Do they have larvae yet?

[DesertAntz]

Do they have larvae yet?

How can I tell without a microscope? 

 

They all look like tiny white specs 

[Gregory2455]

Why am I the only one who is able to see like Solenopsis molesta eggs with the naked eye?

[DesertAntz]

I checked the two I put in the garage and they definitely have pupae. I can see the difference now. I'm going to move the 2 I have inside to the garage as well and see how they progress. I'll be making journals for these girls when one gets their first worker. 

[Gregory2455]

Great!

[Myrmicinae]

It was unbelievably small, I think 2 mm if I remember right. 2 mm queen!

 

That is impressive!  For the most part, I think smaller is good.  I'm finding that I have less and less table space these days.

Edited by Myrmicinae, September 22 2014 - 11:53 AM.

[Gregory2455]

any Polyergus

 

I am not the only one with a dream!

[Myrmicinae]

I am not the only one with a dream!

 

It seems to me that any slave-making species would be very difficult to maintain in captivity.  You would have to break into wild nests quite often to provide them with enough host pupae.

[Gregory2455]

Not providing them with enough slaves will most likely just decrease the population, it would still be an interesting experiment!

[AntsAreUs]

More Aphaenogaster

Many species of Formica and Camponotus

Solenopsis molesta

Crematogaster sp.

Myrmica rubra

Ponera pennsylvanica (I caught 2 but every time I tried setting them up they got lost  )

[AntsAreUs]

Why am I the only one who is able to see like Solenopsis molesta eggs with the naked eye?

You're not the only one. 

[dspdrew]

It seems to me that any slave-making species would be very difficult to maintain in captivity.  You would have to break into wild nests quite often to provide them with enough host pupae.

 

Not if your apartment looks like the wild, with hundreds of nests.