699 replies to this topic

[ANTdrew]

I also found three new Crematogaster queens on 8/18. I’ll be selling all three if folks are interested

[ANTdrew]

Update 1-11-2025

The forum is in a much deeper diapause state than normal, so I figured I might as well add some colony updates. My Crematogaster mega-colony are currently hibernating in my parents' unheated basement. I kept them unheated in my kitchen all the way until January this year, but I figured a shortened winter rest period would do them some good. I detached their large outworld from the main nest in order to drive them over to my parents' house. It's always a crazy experience driving with thousands of ants next to you. I'll leave them in diapause until March probably.
Unfortunately, two of the new Crematogaster queens I found in August have died in their test tubes. At least one is still hanging on. It will be fun starting her colony up in a few weeks time. Stay tuned!

Here’s the colony riding shotgun:


Back side of their UtahAnts nest. Quite a lot of brood, much of which will probably turn out to be alates come spring.

Edited by ANTdrew, January 11 2025 - 3:42 PM.

[rptraut]

Hello ANTdrew;

 

It's unfortunate you lost two of your three new Crematogaster queens and makes me wonder if they're just as variable as the queens here.    I've lost many queens in the founding process, and I'm reminded how much we should treasure the successful ones. 

RPT

[ANTdrew]

Update 2-25-2025

 

Welcome to year seven of my Crematogaster journal! Queen Della and her mega-colony remain in diapause in my parents' basement. I think I'll probably pull them out and drive them back to my house at the start of March. I'm also excited to update on my newest queen which has been heated in a DIY incubator box (just an old plastic container that had pastries in it with heat cables running around it) for about two weeks. I haven't been checking her much, but the last time I did, I found a sizable egg pile, so she is well on her way to starting a new colony of these wonderful ants. I'll put this new colony up for sale soon, but it will be fun raising them in the meantime. Stay tuned!

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Yayyyyyyy, One of the Crematomasters have risen!

[ANTdrew]

Update 3-11-2025

On Saturday, March 8th, I drove my mega colony back to my house to begin their third growing season. They had a great season last year, adding thousands of new workers and producing their first batch of queen alates. I’m hopeful for more good things this year for this colony. Their winter losses weren’t too bad, and they bounced back to action quickly. So far I’ve fed them some dubia roach chunks, a tiny bit of steamed tilapia, and a big pile of fruit flies. They have a couple sizable brood piles currently. I’m heating them with a mini heat pad attached to the back of their UtahAnts nest via rubber bands. Wherever that pad touches the glass, there are huge dogpiles of ants. Though I’ll always miss my first colony, Sigyn, this colony has grown dear to me.

Brood piles:


Nest views:

Edited by ANTdrew, March 13 2025 - 7:33 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Update 3-15-2025

I checked on my newest Crematogaster queen today, and she got her first set of minims! I counted nine, which is awesome for the first batch. A spider was hanging out around their incubator box, so I smooshed it for their first meal. I also gave them some drops of Sunburst.

[ANTdrew]

Update 3-27-25
This colony is fully active again and thriving under their current conditions. The ants are loving their heat pad and now have a massive pile of brood up against it in full view in their outworld. Just the other day, I noticed that many of the brood are fat queen larvae. I’ve been power-feeding the colony almost daily, and they’re processing insects with a vengeance. Softer feeder bugs almost disappear entirely after a few days.
My newest colony is happily growing now and enjoying a display case outworld I set up for them.

Good times in the mega-outworld:


Brood mountains, see how many queen larvae you can spot:

Edited by ANTdrew, March 27 2025 - 10:04 AM.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Wow! How many queens do you get per year?

[RushmoreAnts]

It would be interesting if you could experiment with breeding them with another colony. I know Canadian Anter experimented with this to great success, though I'm not familiar with the mating practices of Crematogaster, i.e. if they would breed in an enclosed space. Speaking of Crematogastrinis, I have yet to wake up early enough to catch Tetra flights directly (I've only found queens after the fact), so I'm not even sure exactly how Crema's cousin's flights work either.

Edited by RushmoreAnts, March 28 2025 - 8:32 AM.

[ANTdrew]

I’d be interested to try some experiments, but how could I ever house two mature Crematogaster colonies!?

[RushmoreAnts]

I’d be interested to try some experiments, but how could I ever house two mature Crematogaster colonies!?

Very true.   The experiment would then require another ant keeper with a mature Crematogaster colony.

[ANTdrew]

Update 4-12-2025
My school is on spring break now, so I’ll have a nice week at home to focus on my ants. This colony continues to put max effort into raising a big crop of alates. I’ve been feeding them heavily as a result. Most of their brood continues to be piled up in the outworld above their UtahAnts nest where the heat pad touches the plexiglass. Quite a few of them are starting to pupate and a few are even turning brown, so diva princesses should appear shortly. You can see some in these photos below:



My newest colony is also growing apace! I’ve been power feeding them, and lots of little nanitics quickly take advantage of the various crickets, mealworms, and fruit flies I’ve been offering them. Seeing young colonies of these ants reminds me of the good old days.

[MyrmecologyMaven]

Update 4-12-2025
My school is on spring break now, so I’ll have a nice week at home to focus on my ants. This colony continues to put max effort into raising a big crop of alates. I’ve been feeding them heavily as a result. Most of their brood continues to be piled up in the outworld above their UtahAnts nest where the heat pad touches the plexiglass. Quite a few of them are starting to pupate and a few are even turning brown, so diva princesses should appear shortly. You can see some in these photos below:



My newest colony is also growing apace! I’ve been power feeding them, and lots of little nanitics quickly take advantage of the various crickets, mealworms, and fruit flies I’ve been offering them. Seeing young colonies of these ants reminds me of the good old days.

Nice photos! I'll have to try to obtain a colony this year to grow out!

[ANTdrew]

Mini-update:
I’m elated to announce that I spotted the first new queens yesterday. This is the second year this colony has produced queen alates. I wonder if they will be ruthlessly culled like last year?

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Mini-update:
I’m elated to announce that I spotted the first new queens yesterday. This is the second year this colony has produced queen alates. I wonder if they will be ruthlessly culled like last year?

Maybe they will, maybe they won’t, you’ll never know because of Myrm’s law where they do exactly the opposite of what you expect 

 

Anyways, do you think you will release the alates like with your old colony? That would be cool but I feel there will be some keepers that disagree with releasing the alates…

[Ernteameise]

 

Mini-update:
I’m elated to announce that I spotted the first new queens yesterday. This is the second year this colony has produced queen alates. I wonder if they will be ruthlessly culled like last year?

Maybe they will, maybe they won’t, you’ll never know because of Myrm’s law where they do exactly the opposite of what you expect 

 

Anyways, do you think you will release the alates like with your old colony? That would be cool but I feel there will be some keepers that disagree with releasing the alates…

 

Talking about releasing alates-

I am clear about that I must not release alates of non-native species like with exotics like Acanthomyrmex and Messor that I keep.

But if they are natives? Like the Lasius and Temnothorax?

They are healthy colonies without die-offs (so likely not suffering from parasites or viruses).

I have so far killed all alates that I could get hold of.

[Ants_Dakota]

 

 

Mini-update:
I’m elated to announce that I spotted the first new queens yesterday. This is the second year this colony has produced queen alates. I wonder if they will be ruthlessly culled like last year?

Maybe they will, maybe they won’t, you’ll never know because of Myrm’s law where they do exactly the opposite of what you expect 

 

Anyways, do you think you will release the alates like with your old colony? That would be cool but I feel there will be some keepers that disagree with releasing the alates…

 

Talking about releasing alates-

I am clear about that I must not release alates of non-native species like with exotics like Acanthomyrmex and Messor that I keep.

But if they are natives? Like the Lasius and Temnothorax?

They are healthy colonies without die-offs (so likely not suffering from parasites or viruses).

I have so far killed all alates that I could get hold of.

 

Let's not open this: https://www.formicul...elease/?p=90732 can of worms again...

Edited by Ants_Dakota, Yesterday, 5:55 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Yeah, don’t or I will lock this thread and delete all the irrelevant posts.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Yeah, don’t or I will lock this thread and delete all the irrelevant posts.

That specific can of worms is really stinky…. Best to leave it untouched (even though I started this    sorry….)

Edited by OwlThatLikesAnts, Yesterday, 6:48 AM.