100 replies to this topic

[antmaniac]

The queen was raised in total darkness in her original colony. So panic is quite normal I suppose.

[dean_k]

This species panics more than others. And the way they panic is pretty amusing to watch unlike other species.

 

Panic level among my colonies...

 

1. Formica (this species) : Once they panic, the queen dashes toward and rams a wall, getting dazed a little in progress and circles around few times before running along the wall. Meanwhile, workers abandon the queen and go on their merry ways in panic with brood between mandibles. They eventually gather together after a minute or so.

 

2. Myrmica : When they panic, they tend to spread out in all directions with brood. It's hard to distinguish queens from workers for this species and queens act a lot like workers. Even their size is similar.

 

3. Lasius : When the colony panics, the queen circles around but soon get caught by workers and gets calmed down. The way they panic is a lot more organized and workers act in synchronized manners.

 

4. Camponotus Herculeanus : The queen does not tend to panic and she acts really lazily. I can touch her and she won't panic. The workers do panic, however, and attack my finger. The workers won't run too far away from the queen and they have a unique dance they do when they are in panic or actively surveying the area.

Edited by dean_k, March 31 2015 - 11:53 AM.

[antmaniac]

Surely workers will attack you if you touch their queen or brood.

[dean_k]

Most will.

 

This formica colony, however, won't because workers run around. They abandon queen in panic.

[antmaniac]

You may think they are running around but sometimes they are either try to find things to cover up the opening, brood to carry, queen to calm and drag her back or protect her, find a safe spot to run to or seek and attack the invader. Young workers would less likely to seek and attack, since they probably havent gone out and hunt yet.

[dean_k]

Could be but I've never been attacked by these. I can pick up the queen fine since she is always alone when the colony is in panic.

 

Anyhow,

 

April 1, 2015

 

Chicken (fly) dinner for the queen. The queen is almost always fed by workers usually. But it's a different story when I throw in a dead fly or two. This queen simply loves flies.

 

 

 

Edited by dean_k, April 2 2015 - 7:52 AM.

[dean_k]

April 9, 2015

 

Today, I've finally relocated them to a new formicarium. This is a level 2 formicarium before they move into their final formicarium.

 

Since the last update from April 1st, 3 more workers eclosed but one worker died.

 

 

 

As you can see, the nest estate the ants will use is about the same but the outworld is much bigger. In fact, in THA growth chamber, the ant was using the whole dish as their nest. But with this formicarium, they will soon draw a line between their own nest and the outworld.

 

 

I moved them one by one.

 

 

Some stayed by brood which is a normal behavior.

 

 

But within less than 5 minutes, all ants and brood were quickly relocated to their new nest.

 

 

Edited by dean_k, April 9 2015 - 2:24 PM.

[Ants4fun]

Nice! Where did you get the red (Plastic?)? 

[dean_k]

I suggested THA to implement it and he (Mack of THA) has done so. It's just a red film secured by two magnets.

[dean_k]

April 12, 2015

 

Ever since they moved to their new formicarum, their behaviors have altered a bit. The queen no longer leaves the designated nest no matter how panicky she is. And only one or two workers ever leave the nest.

 

They now also take out garbage properly. This is why I feel bigger outworld is necessary.

 

 

 

 

[dean_k]

April 15, 2015

 

I mentioned that the queen loves flies before.

 

I repeat again. This queen really, really, really, loves flies. You don't often see a fully claustral queen vigorously feeding on her own. She's been on that fly for 5+ hours.

 

 

 

Edited by dean_k, April 15 2015 - 2:09 PM.

[dean_k]

April 16, 2015.

 

A short video of a larva spinning its cocoon until a worker tries to get it away from my LED powered microscope.

 

[dean_k]

April 22, 2015

 

The queen is doing alright. Her strategy appears to be lay a small batch of eggs, nurse them until they become pupae, lay another small batch of eggs. Rinse and repeat.

 

[dean_k]

April 25, 2015

 

I realized I haven't done population check on this colony for a long time. If my memories serve me correctly, the last head count I did was 8 workers.

 

I now see 13 workers. It's a small increase but an increase nonetheless. The colony appears to maintain a small brood only, so far anyway. The queen headbutted walls so many times that I am amazed that she appears to be sane still.

 

[dean_k]

May 1, 2015

 

Today's video is something I found very interesting. I gave them a dead fly and some workers were feeding it. By fluke, I came across scenes where larvae were being fed solid food. I have no idea where it came from. Their main diet has been tiny mealworm pieces and sugar water and the piece larvae was eating did not appear to be a mealworm part. It also looked like a larva was feeding directly on the fly.

 

I noticed it on 0:55 and the video is mostly about focusing on that.

 

And the pop saw a nice increase. They are at 18 workers now.

 

Make sure that you view the video on youtube site in theater mode.

 

Edited by dean_k, May 1 2015 - 3:38 PM.

[Myrmicinae]

April 15, 2015

 

I mentioned that the queen loves flies before.

 

I repeat again. This queen really, really, really, loves flies. You don't often see a fully claustral queen vigorously feeding on her own. She's been on that fly for 5+ hours.

 

My Formica queen does this as well.

[dean_k]

May 7, 2015.

 

One worker died but a few more were born. The pop is at 22 workers now.

 

You can see 2 callow workers in the video. They look clueless and cute at the same time.

 

This colony is currently my #1 favorite colony at the moment.

 

[dean_k]

May 9, 2015

 

I've decided to move them to former Myrmica sp's home because I needed their current home for a new Formica I've acquired today.

 

I took a long video of their move. The video ends when a worker drags the queen into the hole.

 

It begins with a lone worker dragging brood and workers into their new home. She alone literally drags everyone into their new home. I don't know how they will react to a more sophisticated formicarium. Let's hope they act to this new formicarum better than Myrmica.

 

[CreeperUniverse]

Ok, I have these ants as well and am having every single problem listed in this whole post...I am a new ant keeper and these are my first ants. I can see how stupid they are. 5 ants killed themselves out of 9 already. I am going to try to put coconut fiber in the nest, and then I will use something clear to put over the ants and slowly drag them all to the opening to the nest, until I force them to go in. After that, I will follow the plan to leave them alone for a few days, and check on them. In the meantime, I'll see if I can get some fruit flies just in case they do not except dubia roaches. At least they are eating honey and drinking regularly so they shouldn't die out.

P.S. I have no other colonies so I will be trying my best to save them D: I also will block them up after I get them in the nest.

[Alabama Anter]

Ok, I have these ants as well and am having every single problem listed in this whole post...I am a new ant keeper and these are my first ants. I can see how stupid they are. 5 ants killed themselves out of 9 already. I am going to try to put coconut fiber in the nest, and then I will use something clear to put over the ants and slowly drag them all to the opening to the nest, until I force them to go in. After that, I will follow the plan to leave them alone for a few days, and check on them. In the meantime, I'll see if I can get some fruit flies just in case they do not except dubia roaches. At least they are eating honey and drinking regularly so they shouldn't die out.
P.S. I have no other colonies so I will be trying my best to save them D: I also will block them up after I get them in the nest.

Please don't double post and calling your ants stupid because the killed themselves doesn't make sense. I would make sure that you are taking the best care of them as possible.