7 replies to this topic

[WalkerNom]

WalkerNom's Lasius Neoniger Journal

Last Updated: 3.8.2017

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Original ID Thread: http://www.formicult...016/#entry40408

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Date: 9.23.2016

Time: 5:25 PM

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As luck would have it I found this queen when I simply was heading out to the car to get something.  I happened to look down and I saw her wings shining in the sun as she slowly walked across my driveway.  Since I didn't have a container ready at the time, I panicked, as this was my first queen ant and I didn't want to loose her.  However, I was able to grab an empty water bottle from the car and get her into that with relative ease.

 

 

You might notice that she isn't in a test tube set up, that was because the test tubes I ordered weren't here yet.  So for water I soaked a cotton ball and placed it in the little cup I was keeping her in.  That seemed to work but I was worried the cotton ball would dry out overnight.  Around 12:00 AM when I was about to head off to bed, I decided to check on her and she had removed her wings!

 

While I was happy about that, I was pretty tired so I take out the cotton ball to re-hydrate it and the whole time she was an angel...at least until I put the cotton ball back in.  While I was tucking it into the corner she darted out of the cup, across my desk, and down the back of it, completely out of sight.  I bet you can imagine the horror I felt as I pulled my desk and all the furniture away from the wall.  

 

After tearing apart my room and searching like a mad woman, I still didn't find her.  So I did what any other person does when they royally f*** up...I sat on the floor in defeat.  After maybe 10 - 15 minutes of that, I saw her crawling across my floor and I quickly scooped her up.

 

 

Date: 9.24.2016

Time: 4:12 PM

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Nothing really happened except that I moved her into a test tube set up after my test tubes finally arrived.  Still, I felt like it was worth mentioning and what would an update be without some pictures??

 

 

It's been really hard trying to just let her be and not check on her.  This is my first queen so I'm constantly worried I'm doing something wrong.  However, I plan on keeping myself occupied by going out and hopefully catching some more queens before the season is over and learning about and building my own formicariums.  It's almost time for me to hibernate her so hopefully that will help as well.

Edited by WalkerNom, March 8 2017 - 6:00 AM.

[Canadian anter]

I can so relate to the first part with many of my ants.

[WalkerNom]

Date: 3.8.2017

Time: 8:56 AM

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I regret to inform you that this queen didn't make it. I checked on her in hibernation a few months ago and found her dead.  I suspect that it was too cold where I was hibernating her and she froze to death.

[ultraex2]

I believe that it can take up to 2 weeks for queen ants to leave hibernation - unless you're for sure she's dead, I would leave it out just in case.

[Nathant2131]

I believe that it can take up to 2 weeks for queen ants to leave hibernation - unless you're for sure she's dead, I would leave it out just in case.

Only Camponotus and maybe a few others look dead in hibernation. You can be fairly certain Lasius is deceased if it is not moving at all.

[CamponotusLover]

I hope everything turns well for you. They are beautiful queens though.

[WalkerNom]

Oh yeah, she was dead.  Thanks though.

[CamponotusLover]

Oh yeah, she was dead.  Thanks though.

Q.Q