Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

ANTdrew's Crematogaster Divas Journal -Reboot!

antdrew crematogaster journal divas

  • Please log in to reply
680 replies to this topic

#441 Offline ANTdrew - Posted January 4 2021 - 6:32 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,930 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA

Update 1-4-2021

 

 I'm happy to see this journal entering its fourth calendar year! Since joining GAN last spring, I've had far more interest in queen ant sales. Several customers are already asking for new colonies, so I decided to start up a few of my new Crematogaster cerasi queens yesterday, 1/3. This is about three weeks earlier than I usually start these, but they have been hibernating since early October.

 

 

I will put these in a plastic box and wrap them in a towel. I run a loop of heat cable under one side of the box to create a nice mini-greenhouse effect. This technique works like a charm for me every winter. This species takes about six weeks to get nanitics in conditions like this. It will be fun to have some cute mini- colonies soon! :)


  • TennesseeAnts, Boog, RushmoreAnts and 1 other like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#442 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted January 4 2021 - 7:09 AM

Ants_Dakota

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,376 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

ah yes. i am looking at doing this as well. could you show a pic of your system?


  • TennesseeAnts likes this

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


#443 Offline ANTdrew - Posted January 4 2021 - 7:35 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,930 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA

 

This is what I do. The cable goes under the side opposite the water in the test tubes. I put a shoebox over everything for more darkness/ insulation as well.


  • Boog and Antkeeper01 like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#444 Offline ANTdrew - Posted January 6 2021 - 6:38 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,930 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA

Here you can see how warm this mini-greenhouse gets for founding test tubes. B)

 


  • FeedTheAnts, TennesseeAnts, Boog and 1 other like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#445 Offline ANTdrew - Posted January 11 2021 - 8:59 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,930 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA

Update 1-11-2020

 One week in, and my new 2021 queens have laid eggs. I won't take any pictures yet, as there's not much to see, and I don't want to disturb them. Should be five more weeks until the first adorable heart-butt nanitics. 

 

A queen I mailed last week got baked the very first day by a customer overdoing it with a heat cable. It has me seriously considering not selling through GAN anymore because it's almost a death sentence for the queens. In any case, go slow with heat, guys!

 

p.s. Can I get some help getting this journal back to 5 stars? A troll/ trolls dinged it last week.


  • AnthonyP163, Scherme and TennesseeAnts like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#446 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted January 11 2021 - 9:03 AM

KitsAntVa

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,254 posts
  • LocationRichmond, Virginia

its five stars now, I wonder who did that :D DEFINITLY NOT MEE


  • TennesseeAnts and ANTdrew like this
We don’t talk about that

#447 Offline ANTdrew - Posted January 11 2021 - 9:05 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,930 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA

My man!!!


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

#448 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted January 11 2021 - 9:13 AM

TennesseeAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,925 posts
  • LocationNashville, Tennessee

My man!!!

I contributed before he did!



#449 Offline ANTdrew - Posted January 11 2021 - 9:27 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,930 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
Attaboy!
  • TennesseeAnts likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#450 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted January 11 2021 - 9:29 AM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

 

My man!!!

I contributed before he did!

 

Teacher's pet.  :wink:


  • TennesseeAnts likes this

#451 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted January 11 2021 - 9:33 AM

TennesseeAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,925 posts
  • LocationNashville, Tennessee

 

 

My man!!!

I contributed before he did!

 

Teacher's pet.  :wink:

 

Better than some things I've been called on the internet... :lol:



#452 Offline ANTdrew - Posted January 21 2021 - 7:18 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,930 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA

Update 1-21-2021

 

Welp, only one of the three new queens has laid eggs so far after more than two weeks on heat. I'm more than a little bit disappointed because I could really use something interesting happening with my ants given the crap-fest going on in our country at the moment. Oh well, I still have one last queen on standby in my fridge. I hope she'll work out.


  • AnthonyP163 and TennesseeAnts like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#453 Online RushmoreAnts - Posted January 21 2021 - 8:01 AM

RushmoreAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,244 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

Update 1-21-2021

 

Welp, only one of the three new queens has laid eggs so far after more than two weeks on heat. I'm more than a little bit disappointed because I could really use something interesting happening with my ants given the crap-fest going on in our country at the moment. Oh well, I still have one last queen on standby in my fridge. I hope she'll work out.

Ah, I know that feeling.


"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis


#454 Offline ANTdrew - Posted January 26 2021 - 7:47 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,930 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA

Update 1-26-2021

It is week three for my new queens, and still only one has brood. She has a nice pile, though, and is getting really physogastric! I took my last remaining queen out of the fridge yesterday and tapped her into a new tube this morning. I hope she is successful!

 

 


  • AnthonyP163, TennesseeAnts and AleeGuy like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#455 Offline Temperateants - Posted January 26 2021 - 8:23 AM

Temperateants

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 436 posts

Lucky guy having enough crematogaster to sell on GAN! I only managed to find 1 queen last year after looking at noon-early afternoon for weeks. About selling, if you can deliver a queen physically, I'd do so. Be sure to have a supply of hand sanitizer, and wear plastic gloves+mask. I always send my customer a short guide on the basics of keeping ants. 


  • Ants_Dakota likes this

Check out my Youtube Channel! https://www.youtube....xh-HaScAuE5CShQ

Check out my Crematogaster Journal! https://www.formicul...e-2#entry141180

 

 


#456 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted January 26 2021 - 10:26 AM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

Lucky guy having enough crematogaster to sell on GAN! I only managed to find 1 queen last year after looking at noon-early afternoon for weeks. About selling, if you can deliver a queen physically, I'd do so. Be sure to have a supply of hand sanitizer, and wear plastic gloves+mask. I always send my customer a short guide on the basics of keeping ants.

I have 4 somewhere in my house lol. Not sure where or if they are alive.

#457 Offline AleeGuy - Posted January 29 2021 - 1:57 PM

AleeGuy

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 383 posts
  • LocationNorthern Virginia

Update 1-26-2021
It is week three for my new queens, and still only one has brood. She has a nice pile, though, and is getting really physogastric! I took my last remaining queen out of the fridge yesterday and tapped her into a new tube this morning. I hope she is successful!

Good luck! Is she on sale?

#458 Offline ANTdrew - Posted January 29 2021 - 2:08 PM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,930 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
I have a few people interested already. If I get several going, I can definitely sell you one.
  • AleeGuy likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#459 Offline AnthonyP163 - Posted January 29 2021 - 5:23 PM

AnthonyP163

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 986 posts
  • LocationWaukesha, Wisconsin.

I remember reading a study a long time ago which found that more heat increased egg mortality in Solenopsis invicta. 

 

Obviously, that is very different from your queens, and I can't be certain about anything, but it's something I keep in mind as it could be similar for other ants. I never overdo the heat on founding queens for this fear. I do wonder if excessive heat prevents queens from being willing to lay eggs.

 

Perhaps it's worth slightly cooling down the founding queens some for the sake of egg-laying?


Edited by AnthonyP163, January 29 2021 - 5:24 PM.

  • Ants_Dakota likes this


Ant Keeping & Ethology Discord - 2000+ Members and growing

Statesideants.com - order live ants legally in the US

 


#460 Offline ANTdrew - Posted January 29 2021 - 5:45 PM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,930 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
That’s a good point, Anthony. I’ve had 100% success rate with seven queens of this species the last two winters heating them in the same way. Crematogaster are such heat crazy ants in general, so I’m not sure. I think I just got some dud queens, but I’ll keep waiting. There is also a heat gradient in their box because the back of the tubes is closer to 82. The one queen with eggs has them all bunched up closest to the heat at the front of her tube.
  • AnthonyP163 likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.





Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: antdrew, crematogaster, journal, divas

1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users