17 replies to this topic

[Antennal_Scrobe]

My Camponotus colony (About a year old) seems to be doing OK since I took their log from behind my garage. The log, which is quite large, is currently in a Rubbermaid bin with a Mini Hearth that I hope they will eventually move into. They seem reluctant to leave their beloved log however, and it may be months before I can properly care for them. They have accepted mealworms and honey, but they refuse fish food and I have not seen them touch their scrambled eggs.

[Kaelwizard]

You could just keep them in a cool terrarium with their log in it.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

It's like a foot wide by a foot and a half long, so, while that would be nice, I don't think I have space in my room for a terrarium that big.

[Kaelwizard]

It's like a foot wide by a foot and a half long, so, while that would be nice, I don't think I have space in my room for a terrarium that big.

Oh, ok.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I let this colony go today, I don't think they would have ever moved out of their log.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Well this journal is not entirely over; I do have a queen of this species who I am 99% sure is infertile. Welcome to a whole journal about me waiting for an infertile queen to finally die so I can get the test tube back.

[TennesseeAnts]

I just take a trawl and split the log into smaller pieces. When the colony deems the log unsafe, they will move into the new nest.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Next time I need to move a colony from a log I will do that, but I needed the Mini Hearth for my Lasius americanus.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I let this queen go today.

[Acutus]

Should've waited her out! I have a C. pennsylvanicus queen that I caught 5/23. She just last week or two laid eggs!

[Antennal_Scrobe]

She showed all the signs of being infertile, and besides I needed the test tube.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I just found a C. pennsylvanicus queen. In the middle of August. WHY.

[Kaelwizard]

Just hibernate it and it’ll lay eggs in the spring.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

So is that normal then? 

[Kaelwizard]

So is that normal then?

If they fly later then yes.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

For me this species had a huge flight in late June. I just don't know if they sometimes fly at a weird time like this as well.

[ANTdrew]

She is probably a nest reject. Queens that never fly in spring get kicked out by the workers as summer ends. I found a few like this last year.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Makes sense, but she has no wings.