136 replies to this topic

[Roy3]

Woohoooooooo. Good job!

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[Becky]

Yeah, how big are the ants/ queen?

 

Myrmica rubra queens are usually 5-7.5mm and workers 4-6mm. Since it is the first worker it is probably around 4mm.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

So if I remember how to convert, the queens are .5 centimeters to .75 centimeters?

[Serafine]

So if I remember how to convert, the queens are .5 centimeters to .75 centimeters?

Yes.

[Becky]

I guess there are 5-6 workers now. It's getting more and more difficult to take pictures of them.

I will prepare new tubes soon so they can move then it should be easier to take pictures again.

 

 

[ANTdrew]

Sounds like a fun species to keep!

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Grows faster than my camponotous, that's for sure

[Becky]

One or two new ants have been born but I can't tell if there are any more eggs - it's really hard to see anything in that tube.

I gave them some fruit flies which they liked and the head of a bee pupa but they didn't touch that one.

Now I'm waiting to see what will happen in the next few weeks and if they are going into hibernation.

 

 

[Becky]

I made a fresh test tube setup so they can move out when their current one dries out.

Fortunately the decorative shells keep the tube in place so it doesn't roll around.

 

 

 

In the next 3 pictures you can see ants rebuilding their barricade at the entrance of their straw (it collapsed when I took the pictures of the brood ).

 

 

 

 

 

There are 10-12 workers now and a lot of brood in all stages, including new eggs.

 

 

 

[Roy3]

I love the straw idea. Nice. And the shells are a cool touch, as well as useful. I bought shells awhile back. Better use them like you did. Never thought of that.

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[Becky]

They still didn't move into the new tube! Slowly it's getting cramped in it and the cotton doesn't look fresh either.

 

 

There are a few eggs and at least a dozen pupae.

Visibility still isn't good but when they move into the new tube it should be better.

 

 

 

Everytime I want to take a picture they have to rebuild their barrier at the entrance of the straw afterwards.

The workers are very shy and don't stay in the open for long time. This makes it difficult to take pictures of them outside of the tube.

[RushmoreAnts]

Camera shy....

[Roy3]

They will move in eventually. They will know when they are tooooooo cramped.

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[Roy3]

Until that time comes, keep an eye on the new nest tube. It starts looking dirty or moldy then change it out before they plan to move in. It happens to me quite a lot. Some ants of mine are like yours. Wait to long and I have to clean the new tube out, but i have them taped together. Oh well.

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[Becky]

We have to mourn the first dead worker. I didn't expect it so early. 

 

 

It seems to me that they won't move into the new tube soon.

On the first sight you can't see how much brood they have....

 

 

 

...but on the left side they have a chamber full of fat larvae and the queen has laid a lot of new eggs. :-)

 

This is a failed picture but I like it anyway. :-)

 

The area in front of the tube looks like a battlefield.   

[Wa.Va]

I would leave them alone during hibernation. It should help her during founding stage.

[Becky]

Today I gave them baby crickets for the first time and the workers were very excited.

I haven't seen so many ants outside ever before.

 

 

 

Some ants are very well "camouflaged" between the brown pebbles so I marked them with green arrows

 

 

 

 

 

I just looked aside for a moment and the crickets were gone.

They even tore down the barricade to pull them through the straw.

 

 

 

I also gave them a pinky maggot and they liked it.

 

 

 

 

They seemed to have some... problems with the navigation though.

 

 

 

The pinky is still not in the tube but at least they managed to drag it next to the entrance.

Edited by Becky, November 27 2019 - 4:08 PM.

[Becky]

Today I took some random pictures.

Surprisingly there were multiple workers outside, one of them even climbed out of the box while the lid was open.

They are getting more curious and bold.

 

 

 

There's a tiny hole in the shell and sometimes ants disappear into it. Hopefully they won't move to colony in there.

 

 

 

It looks like they have eaten all the fruit flies, the crickets and the pinky I gave them yesterday.

Unsurprisingly there's even more brood now and probably they are hungry again...

 

 

 

 

 

I will now fulfill their desire and provide them with more food....

Edited by Becky, November 29 2019 - 2:31 PM.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

This is how my M. punctiventris are. They just eat and grow, despite it having been <50 degrees outside for the past 2 months. I can't hibernate them, because they still have lots of pupae, though the newer brood does not seem to be developing past the medium-sized larva stage, a sign that I may be able to hibernate them sometime before the end of December.

[Roy3]

Your Rubra are doing great. Awesome job. I still love that straw in the cotton entrance idea. Maybe I should try it. I'm needing to make some grout nests and outworld for my many colonies. Wanted to start on that today. But so much going on today.

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