19 replies to this topic

[BugFinder]

I collected 8 D. Bicolor queens with my buddy David during my first anting trip on 3/14/15.  David gave me four more queens he had collected a few days earlier.  The queens were placed in test tubes (two per tube) and stored in a shoe box on my ant shelf.

 

Last night while feeding them I noticed I had already lost one queen, but the others all seem to be doing well. I gave them all a spot of honey on tin foil for food.  I'll post some photos of them as soon as I get some time to take a few.  I'll be out of town the rest of the week so it'll be next week at the earliest.

[Foogoo]

I collected 8 D. Bicolor queens with my buddy David during my first anting trip on 3/14/15.  David gave me four more queens he had collected a few days earlier.  The queens were placed in test tubes (two per tube) and stored in a shoe box on my ant shelf.

 

Last night while feeding them I noticed I had already lost one queen, but the others all seem to be doing well. I gave them all a spot of honey on tin foil for food.  I'll post some photos of them as soon as I get some time to take a few.  I'll be out of town the rest of the week so it'll be next week at the earliest.

Have they eaten the honey? I'm debating if I should try feeding mine, not knowing if they would eat or not.

[BugFinder]

 

Have they eaten the honey? I'm debating if I should try feeding mine, not knowing if they would eat or not.

 

I just fed them late last night (or early this morning, if you must, it was 2 am), so I don't know yet bud, but I'll let you know when I get back home on Sunday night and check on them. 

[Foogoo]

I just gave all mine a drop of honey/water and probably 3/4 of them went straight for it. So I guess claustral queens do enjoy a meal.

[antmaniac]

Just have the honey available, it will help for sure. My Camponotus queen had 8 cocoons by her own. I am certain that all my queens drank honey, even if just a tiny amount and some I never saw drinking it.

[Foogoo]

Ugh, be careful BugFinder, found one of my queens drowning in the single drop. She must have been climbing on the tube around it and fell in. She's alive, but I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't make it.

 

Are queens able to eat solid or gel food?

[dean_k]

Ugh, be careful BugFinder, found one of my queens drowning in the single drop. She must have been climbing on the tube around it and fell in. She's alive, but I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't make it.

 

Are queens able to eat solid or gel food?

 

Ants can only digest liquid food (gel food included). But larvae have some ability to digest solid protein.

Edited by dean_k, March 19 2015 - 6:50 PM.

[antmaniac]

Ugh, be careful BugFinder, found one of my queens drowning in the single drop. She must have been climbing on the tube around it and fell in. She's alive, but I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't make it.

Be careful with the honey in drop form, even if it may appears small to human. The queen would die from stuck in honey or even water, high humidity and moisture included. I usually use paper soak in water instead and honey in a small straw or rub on a piece of twisted paper.

[Crystals]

I use tinfoil with a small drop of sugar water or hummingbird nectar.  I have found honey too sticky for many smaller queens or nanitics.

[BugFinder]

When I returned home yesterday, I found all but two of my queens are alive, so instead of 12 I now have 10.

Edited by BugFinder, March 23 2015 - 9:31 PM.

[BugFinder]

3 of my P. Bicolor colonies have eggs, and one of those has a couple larvae!  These colonies are looking really good so far.  One concern, a couple of the test tubes have developed some scary looking black mold in the cotton.  

[drtrmiller]

Mold problems will only get worse. May want to gently relocate asap.

[Foogoo]

Mold problems will only get worse. May want to gently relocate asap.

Test tubes don't seem like the ideal habitat for Dorymyrmex. Mine constantly tug at the cotton, trying to dig themselves a chamber, which usually ends up in flooding and drowning. Do you think it's worth the stress to move her?

[BugFinder]

I have formicaria coming in the mail.  They'll have to stay put until it arrives.  Mine are tugging at the cotton too and shredding it.

[BugFinder]

I about a week ago I placed one of my colones (two queens) of D. Bicolor into a Biformica growth chamber.  On 4/23/15 I noticed both queens were dead.  I've also lost several others that were in test tubes.  As of today I have 2 colonies with one queen each, and 1 colony with 2 queens, all in test tubes.

[drtrmiller]

How likely is it they died of dehydration?

 

• Can I use the byFormica GroTube if I only have a queen or a small colony with a few workers?
  • Yes. The GroTube may work great for queens and/or small colonies. However, there are some special considerations to keep in mind: Fully claustral queens should be sealed inside the GroTube by stuffing both entrances with cotton. With queens and small colonies, ensure that at least part of the nest is kept hydrated by injecting 1 ml or more of water into one or both reservoirs, every few days, as needed to keep at least one section moist, similar to an underground dwelling.  Allowing queens and small colonies both a wet and dry area is important for colony founding and well-being.

Edited by drtrmiller, April 25 2015 - 2:47 PM.

[BugFinder]

I suppose it's possible, but I had queens in test tubes die during the same time frame, I didn't suspect it had anything to do with the grow tube.  I had a mess of queens of that species, now I have 3.  As far as I know, that's par for the course in anting.  Am I wrong Terry?

Edited by BugFinder, April 25 2015 - 2:47 PM.

[drtrmiller]

No, you're not wrong.  Queens die of natural or unknown causes all the time—Drew was losing a couple every day when he was keeping hundreds last year.  

 

However, I can not overstate the importance of keeping at least part of the nest semi-moist, so the queens have a source of drinking water along with a choice between wet or dry areas, during colony founding.

 

Better luck next time.

[BugFinder]

I have to growth chambers, the other has a Pogonomyrmex in it and she is doing just fine so far.  I think it's just random, not because of the nest they were in.

[Foogoo]

I about a week ago I placed one of my colones (two queens) of D. Bicolor into a Biformica growth chamber.  On 4/23/15 I noticed both queens were dead.  I've also lost several others that were in test tubes.  As of today I have 2 colonies with one queen each, and 1 colony with 2 queens, all in test tubes.

I have a similar experience with my D. insanus queens. Out of 11 queens and 2 D. bicolor queens, I only have one of each left. A few deaths were preventable (drowning, flooding) but the rest were mysterious. Maybe they're just a touchy queen.