680 replies to this topic

[ANTdrew]

I’m going to start this up as my first journal on here. (I hope that's not jinxing anything because none of these queens has made it through hibernation or laid any eggs yet) I found the three Crematogaster cerasi queens on Labor Day weekend 2018. I had biked out to a marina next to the Potomac River and found the queens crawling on a picnic table there. It was an open area with mature trees. I only had three containers, so a fourth one I found got away. I figure with three, at least one should work out. I didn't want them to get all jostled up biking home, so I called my wife to come pick me up. After a burger and a beer, we drove the girls home.

I put all three in test-tube set ups with a drop of honey and stored them in a shoebox in a closet. I checked on them every two weeks or so, and all looked well.

If these queens are successful, I will be giving them names from Norse mythology.

Here's a picture of one of the divas:

Edited by ANTdrew, November 25 2020 - 4:13 PM.

[ANTdrew]

Ok! I gave my three divas a final drop of honey. They are looking healthy and beautiful - maybe I’m too deep into this hobby?? I just really want a crematogaster colony!

[ANTdrew]

I just put the divas in the mini-fridge at 48degrees. I wrapped their test tubes in a towel. If this works, I’ll morph this drunken diatribe into a proper journal. 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[Ferox_Formicae]

Sweet! I currently have a colony of Crematogaster lineolata with 2 queens, 4 alate females, and over 150 workers. I collected them with my aspirator and trust me, it was one of my biggest regrets! They actually have formic acid, and that stuff is horrible on your lungs! I went to bed that night coughing a madman and I almost had an asthma attack! I don't recommend anyone do that!

[ANTdrew]

Yikes! That doesn’t sound fun at all! Good luck with the colony and share any advice you learn.

Well, in better news the Crematogaster divas are looking great after 5 weeks in the clink. I aspire to have a massive colony like TennesseeAnts - when I grow up! I’ll probably take them out and heat them mid-January.

[Kalidas]

Man am I happy I live in a state where I don't need to hibernate my ants

[ANTdrew]

Yeah, man. It’s a nerve wracking pain in the [censored]. Plus, I miss having my ants as a distraction.

[Kalidas]

Oh I bet. Might need a new temporary hobby. I recommend Warhammer 40K

[Rstheant]

Good luck! Any pictures?

[ANTdrew]

Well, they’re just in tubes in my fridge, so nothing has changed to take photos of. They look the same as the first photo up above. I’ll definitely post photos if I get brood going after diapause.

[Rstheant]

Name queen A, Sif, queen B Frigg, and queen C Freya.

[ANTdrew]

My first Tetramorium queen is already named Sif! She grew to over 300 ants in four months. My second Tetra queen is named Angrboda for the half monster mother of Loki. She really kicked butt, too with monster brood.

I could go with Freyja, but my neighbor's dog has that name, so it's like it's already taken in my mind.

I'll name one of divas Frigg in your honor!

Edited by ANTdrew, December 7 2018 - 6:12 AM.

[Rstheant]

Wow! Thanks! I feel honored! Like literally!

[Rstheant]

You could name queen A Sigyn, wife of Loki.

[Rstheant]

Or Skadi,

[ANTdrew]

Great names! Frigg, Sigyn, and Skadi it is.

[ANTdrew]

It has been eight weeks in the 45deg clink for my three Crematogaster spp “divas.” Judging from archives on here, I will give them maybe two or three weeks more of diapause. Then I need to figure out the best way to heat them since my house is freezing now and will be until April. An idea I had is to run a space heater in a tiny bathroom I have in my basement to create an ant room. It’s really easy to crank it up to 80 degrees like that. I could heat up all my colonies like that without having to order anymore crap. I just worry about my electric bill plus contributing to global warming.
Rstheant gave me some good Norse names for these girls, but I changed one to Thrud, daughter of Thor. They will be Frigg, Siggyn, and Thrud officially.
My two Tetramorium colonies are still foraging with 30 workers about in the minifridge, so I’m feeling that they hibernate out of necessity, not choice. I’ll stick with ant-keeping orthodoxy with them for a while longer in any case.

[ANTdrew]

Good news! I took the three queens out of hibernation a little over three weeks ago. I have their test tubes in a BoxBox container sitting on a heat cable. I have a shoebox on top of this for darkness and more warmth.
I carefully peaked at them tonight, and all three have small brood piles! I’m trying to check them as little as possible because I’ve read how easily they get stressed.

[ANTdrew]

Alright! One of my diva queens has her first worker! That’s great news, but the problem is that the water is running really low in all three test tubes, I guess because I had them on a lot of heat. The one with a worker I could put in an outworld with access to a new tube, but what should I do with the other two (who actually have less remaining water)?

[TennesseeAnts]

Congrats! I would just attach a new tube via some tubing. Or VERY carefully, pick the ants up with a q-tip. Use a wet q-tip for brood.