116 replies to this topic

[ANTdrew]

How long is a while ago? How many workers are there? I would definitely get them some kind of sugar source and some protein soon. Let them decide when they need to eat.

Edited by ANTdrew, December 31 2019 - 5:58 PM.

[P0rcelain]

o, i should do that as soon as possible then. because it has been quite a while.

 

they are still alive, so i am not too worried. but i will have to rearrange a ton of stuff.

[P0rcelain]

How long is a while ago? How many workers are there? I would definitely get them some kind of sugar source and some protein soon. Let them decide when they need to eat.

last year

not long after my pm with you

maybe around 20th ish

i have no doubt they are starving around now

but i have just caught a grasshopper and i am freezing it now. hopefully the queen is still alive.

the workers were still moving when i checked earlier so i have hope at least.

Edited by P0rcelain, December 31 2019 - 6:53 PM.

[P0rcelain]

since it is more dire than i thought it is i will also look into formicariums for my fully claustral queen too. and also take setting up a sort of vivarium for my semi claustral queen more seriously since i am fairly certain her brood is cocooning or whatever it is called.

though i am not too worried about them since they already have their little outworld.

i will be frank with you. i sort of find semi claustral queens easier just because it is harder to forget about them, and their behaviour is way more consistent. they want food all the time rather than only after a specific period.

[P0rcelain]

ok, they are fed. i took some photos for you too, but even though i have a macro lens now and the lighting conditions were decent, it is still blurry.

that is because the set up i have for them right now is a complete [censored] mess.

i would like to move them to a proper formicarium soon. any suggestions? (it would have to be a good one because they are very small. i could just put them in a fish tank i guess, but i would like something a bit more tried and tested to be escape proof. they are timid and do not seem to actively try to escape, but i want to be sure because these little guys getting everywhere would be a nightmare)

i think they might be ready because when i opened that up to put the food in there were way more ants than i expected (if you are wondering, i ran out of containers so i had no choice but to open their set up to put their food in.)

[P0rcelain]

to clarify, the queen is fine, as are all her workers. not a single corpse and when i opened it they immediately went into frenzy.

hardy little bois

Edited by P0rcelain, December 31 2019 - 7:27 PM.

[P0rcelain]

nvm
i got this fam

i will just use the old formicarium designs i wanted to try

if it fails, i will still have fish tanks to keep them in

[ponerinecat]

to clarify, the queen is fine, as are all her workers. not a single corpse and when i opened it they immediately went into frenzy.

hardy little bois

GALS

[P0rcelain]

o i just say bois to everything and everyone

it is a genderless word to me

although i do enjoy the GALS

[P0rcelain]

the bbs are almost adults i can see their legs and bodies forming (in the semi claustral queens tube)

right in time too because the mold in that tube is getting pretty bad

hopefully they move to their new tube once they are all done

Edited by P0rcelain, January 2 2020 - 4:52 PM.

[P0rcelain]

good news

a while ago the semiclaustral queens founding workers had arrived

there is about 3 or 4 of them

and they have just got to work moving the brood to the other, moist test tube today

the queen is being stubborn and has not moved

but that is probably fine

as long as the workers bring her water i see no problem with that

[Enderz]

Useless because 'she' will die eventually.

[Enderz]

Also learn basic grammar. 'O' should only be used when speaking in the vocative and 'I's should be capitalized. Though I suspect that you are using your mobile device in order to transmit these messages, even still you should strive for competent sentences. ave atque vale. 

[P0rcelain]

o
do u have a problem with how i type?
would u prefer me to type like a big 2mart person with grammar o plenty
the exact opposite of what i am doing now
is this annoying you enderz
is this really getting to you
and how about that queen huh
i bet you thought she would be dead by now
turns out
she is fine
and her colony is thriving
o
it would appear that we have our second batch of workers
isn't that a weird coincidence

[P0rcelain]

anyway
to those of you that are not [censored]
also known as
all of you but enderz
i apologise for lack of updates
my internet went out about two weeks ago and we are *still* trying to get it fixed
now for what i actually went out of my way to post on my phone because *i usually use my computer deal with it*

the semi claustral colony (dubbed from now on as “notoncus”) has not been eating. i think they might be hibernating? but that is pretty early to be hibernating. if i can manage to get my hands on any insects i will try feeding them that and see if they eat. so far i have fed them tuna and a moth and they have not touched either so i might have just been unlucky and they don't like eating either.

the fully claustral colony (hereby dubbed “nylanderia”), i have a very simple question about (though perhaps a naive one). it is this: is nylanderia typically known for fungus farming? are there species that do?
because every time i feed them meat they proceed to not touch it. and then in just a few *days* the food becomes absolutely ridden with mould. this does not feel normal. every time i feed notoncus meat they jump on it (until recently) and even now that they are not there is no mould in sight. i am aware a bit of mould is normal but this is a *lot of mould* and they do not seem to be making much of an attempt to control it. i have fed them meat in the form of a grasshopper and some tuna. they love their sugars but both the tuna and grasshopper ended up covered in mold and barely touched.

[P0rcelain]

o i should add that nylanderia accept fruit flies. they love those. but since summer is ending they are quite scarce.

[P0rcelain]

i regret to inform you all that my Nylanderia colony has not managed to survive winter

i failed to provide them enough food to stockpile, and they did not have enough water

 

fortunately Notoncus is still going, thriving even

they do not hibernate, which has meant that it is a real struggle getting them food as a lot of insects are not out during winter

but the few which are they seem to be keen on

the exception being cockroaches, interestingly

you would think they would love cockroaches but i gave them one and they have not touched it