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ANTdrew's Crematogaster Divas Journal -Reboot!

Started By ANTdrew , Oct 20 2018 5:49 PM
antdrew crematogaster journal divas

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#381 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 21 2020 - 7:26 AM

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What is that white stuff they are eating?


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Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

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My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#382 Offline Antkid12 - Posted September 21 2020 - 8:19 AM

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What is that white stuff they are eating?

It looks like cricket parts.


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Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 

#383 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 21 2020 - 9:47 AM

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Yes, sections of camel cricket legs. Yum.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#384 Offline Monarch - Posted September 22 2020 - 7:10 PM

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Hey antsdrew! Long time no see!  Saw your crematagastor journal and thought i gotta read through all 20 pages.....

I found a crematagastor dentata queen about 2 months ago.  I still have her in a test tube and she has about 20 workers and many many eggs and pupae.  I built a 10 gallon vertical formcairum with live plants a few days ago that will house her and her new empire!  Thanks for inspiring me friend!


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#385 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 23 2020 - 2:45 AM

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Hey! Welcome back and good luck with the Crematogaster!
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#386 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted September 24 2020 - 12:26 PM

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If you'll allow me to ask some questions:

 

I just caught 4 of these queens, 1 single queen, and 1 trio. What is the best way to prevent escape? Does olive oil work or should I get fluon? How often should I feed them if the colony is successful? Is there anyway you can think of to use as population control if numbers get too out of hand?

 

Thanks in advance.


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#387 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 24 2020 - 1:13 PM

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Congrats, Kael!
The best way to prevent escape is providing them lots of space to roam. Use fluon and lids, but you need to keep the lid really well ventilated to keep humidity down. I would feed them every day.
The best way to control their growth would probably be to keep temperatures sub-optimal, but I don’t know how well that would work out long-term. I would advise getting the colony to a big size before trying any control, so they don’t implode.

Edited by ANTdrew, September 24 2020 - 1:14 PM.

"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#388 Offline M_Ants - Posted September 24 2020 - 7:25 PM

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Caught myself some Crematogaster as well so I figured your the person to ask...Is there anyway you can keep Crematogaster with their large colony sizes and growth without buying expensive THA nests or similar?


Veromessor pergandei

Veromessor andrei

Crematogaster sp. 

Pogonomyrmex cf cali and rugosus

Various Pheidole

C. yogi 

https://www.youtube....FG7utFVBA/about

#389 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 25 2020 - 2:59 AM

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Caught myself some Crematogaster as well so I figured your the person to ask...Is there anyway you can keep Crematogaster with their large colony sizes and growth without buying expensive THA nests or similar?

Absolutely. They’re not picky at all about their nesting site. Tubs and tubes set up would work great or a natural terrarium. The western species aren’t half as prolific as our eastern ones, though, at least not in captivity.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#390 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted September 25 2020 - 3:01 AM

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I have to say I'm pretty nervous with these girls. I am hoping to get a bunch more ant supplies for my birthday. Hopefully I'll be prepared enough for next year.


#391 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 25 2020 - 8:04 AM

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I'm still hitting myself for forgetting test tubes when like the one crematogaster queen i ever saw walked right past me, and she fell out of my hands.


Edited by Ants_Dakota, September 25 2020 - 8:05 AM.

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#392 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 25 2020 - 8:47 AM

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I have to say I'm pretty nervous with these girls. I am hoping to get a bunch more ant supplies for my birthday. Hopefully I'll be prepared enough for next year.

I’d say you don’t need a lot of supplies beyond a good container with a snug lid, fluon, and test tubes. An aspirator really comes in handy for managing them.

I'm still hitting myself for forgetting test tubes when like the one crematogaster queen i ever saw walked right past me, and she fell out of my hands.

#LifeRegrets
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#393 Offline Devi - Posted September 25 2020 - 9:21 AM

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I have wanted crematogaster for a while now.  Such a pretty species!  I enjoy reading all your journals, (this one in particular.)  Great job!


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#394 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted September 26 2020 - 5:53 AM

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Lately when I moving ant colonies I put the nest inside of a larger container so if any escape, it takes longer for them to actually get into my house. An aspirated would really help with that so I can easily catch any who escape.
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#395 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 29 2020 - 9:39 AM

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*
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Update 9-29-2020

 

 This colony is probably doing better than ever. Tons of new workers have eclosed, and they are really swarming their food now. They're emptying out their byFormica feeders really quickly again. On Saturday, the foraging area of their Nucleus was covered with workers after I dropped in a full sized dubia roach. I tried to capture it in a photo, but it didn't quite do justice:

 

 
Crematogaster happy hour:
 
 All five of my new 2020 queens are looking healthy. I fed them again with another drop of Sunburst nectar. I'll probably be putting them in my mini-fridge pretty soon for diapause. The cycle starts anew...

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Edited by ANTdrew, March 2 2021 - 10:35 AM.

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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#396 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 29 2020 - 1:59 PM

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I found a new Crematogaster queen today.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#397 Offline DDD101DDD - Posted September 29 2020 - 2:00 PM

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The variation in worker size is pretty interesting.


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He travels, he seeks the p a r m e s a n.

#398 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 29 2020 - 2:07 PM

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I found a new Crematogaster queen today.

species?


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#399 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 29 2020 - 2:11 PM

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Most likely cerasi. I need to get a microscope if I want to get deeper into this hobby.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#400 Offline FeedTheAnts - Posted September 29 2020 - 3:43 PM

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I'm also seeing a lot of Crematogaster queens each day around dusk. Don't know if I have the nerves to try at a new colony, but they'll quit flying soon enough so I better decide!


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I accidentally froze all my ants 

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