680 replies to this topic

[RushmoreAnts]

Who.... what..... when......

We are abusing AD's journal........

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

all I have to say to that is...where, why, and how 

[RushmoreAnts]

WHO gave us permission to randomly chat like this?

 

WHAT are we even talking about?

 

WHEN is this going to end?

 

WHY are why are we even doing this?

 

HOW did this even start in the first place?

 

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

WHO will stop this 

WHAT are we thinking 

WHEN will we stop 

WHY have we continued this and 

HOW are we still carrying on the null of a conversation

[RushmoreAnts]

WHO started this anyway

WHAT is even the point  of this

WHEN are we going to run out of things to fill this acronym with 

WHY do we keep droning on and on

HOW are we still coming up with new things to put in here.........

[ANTdrew]

Update 4-3-2020

All is well in my Crematogaster-verse. Sigyn continues growing and thriving in the Nucleus. I'm feeding them 5-6 mealworms, dubia roaches, or wild caught insects everyday to keep up with their voracious appetites. The feeding frenzies are fun to watch but kind of intimidating at the same time.




Here's a Crematogaster happy hour after I replenished their liquid feeder:



2019 Colony:
I love this cute little colony. They are growing super fast in the old BoxBox outworld that Sigyn herself grew up in just last year. I currently count about 30 workers and a crap ton of brood. I'm feeding these at least one dubia roach, mealworm, or multiple fruit flies every day. Crematogaster really need to be fed every single day if you want them to be successful. I don't think they have very big social stomachs.

If ya’ll are done, I’m bringing my post back on track.

Edited by ANTdrew, April 3 2020 - 3:45 PM.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

we're done

[ANTdrew]

Update 4-17-2020

 

 It's all bad news everywhere, but for the Divas it's all good news all the time lately. It's been over a month since I moved them into the Nucleus III, and they've had a big population surge. The best news of all is that there have been ZERO escapes from their new formicarium. An interesting habit they've started is bringing up some brood into a warm spot in their outworld next to a heating pad. They bring them up each afternoon, then take them back down in the evening.

 

To slake their thirst for insect hemolymph, I gave them a huge Odontotaenius patent leather beetle (pre-frozen) on Wednesday evening. By the time I woke up, they had hollowed out the whole thing. I'll give them another one today.

 

 

 

My new colony is off in the mail to Virginia Beach as I type this. They should arrive by noon tomorrow. As this is the first colony I've ever mailed, I'm anxious to see how this works out. I'm actually missing them already.

[FeedTheAnts]

Hey Drew, how large is the Nucleus really? I'm looking into buying a THA nest for the Valentines, would the Nucleus be any good, or too small? I'm talking about the regular type III, not the 360. Other nests I have my eye on would be the atrium (in this case possibly paired up one of my mini hearths).

[ANTdrew]

It’s pretty big, plenty of nest space for sure. The foraging area is way too small, though. I don’t know if it would be big enough for your Valentine’s, though. I think it could be a good add on to your hybrid, but you’d need another outworld. My ants have turned the outworld into one big trash pile in five weeks time, and I can’t clean it.

[Temperateants]

Delicious. 

[FeedTheAnts]

It’s pretty big, plenty of nest space for sure. The foraging area is way too small, though. I don’t know if it would be big enough for your Valentine’s, though. I think it could be a good add on to your hybrid, but you’d need another outworld. My ants have turned the outworld into one big trash pile in five weeks time, and I can’t clean it.

Thanks. I'm mostly concerned about the nest, I might not even use the outworld it comes attached to (I'm assuming it can be removed). You learn pretty early on that the idea of a picturesque foraging area is a fantasy with these ants. I'm so glad to hear that it's big, but I'll probably using it in conjunction with a mini hearth, and leave the Hybrid Nest to my Camponouts chromaiodes once they get larger.

[ANTdrew]

Sounds good! Be sure to specify small ants, so Mack checks any gaps.
I’m planning to hook my AC outworld to it, and I’ll probably buy the biggest THA foraging area, too. I have a vision of connecting these with long tubing, so the ants can really roam.

[FeedTheAnts]

Sounds good! Be sure to specify small ants, so Mack checks any gaps.
I’m planning to hook my AC outworld to it, and I’ll probably buy the biggest THA foraging area, too. I have a vision of connecting these with long tubing, so the ants can really roam.

I plan on buying one from the ready to ship section. It doesn't specify there if they are made for small, medium or large ants. I hope that won't be an issue.

[ANTdrew]

Read carefully in the description because it should say. It was an issue for me, but I solved it with hot glue.

[TennesseeAnts]

Read carefully in the description because it should say. It was an issue for me, but I solved it with hot glue.

This will be more of a problem with the smaller Crematogaster species, such as C. ashmeadi or C. missouriensis/minutissima though.

[FeedTheAnts]

Read carefully in the description because it should say. It was an issue for me, but I solved it with hot glue.

Looks like I'll have to email Mack about it. It's not listed in the description of any of the nests.

[ANTdrew]

You’re right. I can’t find it now, but I swear mine said large species design. Definitely ask him for a small species one, or whichever would be best from the ready to ship.

[Canadant]

Any pics of them in the Nucleus? Love that formicarium.

[ANTdrew]

Any pics of them in the Nucleus? Love that formicarium.

Every photo I’ve posted is them in the Nucleus, but mostly up top in the foraging area. All the brood and queen are piled up directly behind a heat pad on the back of the nest, so that makes photos challenging.