34 replies to this topic

[Broncos]

These are easily over 100 workers. Almost all of them are larger due to colony maturity.

[Devi]

Nice!  I really want to keep Novomessor, one of my dream species. 

[Broncos]

200 workers strong and in a 10 gallon terrarium. They can never have enough food. I really like this colony. I occasionally see the enormous brood pile when I turn on the lights for the day.

[CasiahJade]

What do you feed them?

[Broncos]

What do you feed them?

Mealworms, roaches, crickets, and honey. And fruit flies when I get them.

[CasiahJade]

Hrm, maybe when my colony gets larger I'll notice them eating more.

[Broncos]

Hrm, maybe when my colony gets larger I'll notice them eating more.

Weird. Mine couldn't stop eating when they were in the founding stages

[CasiahJade]

I've given them crickets, super worms, some cooked chicken, some tuna cat food, honey, sugar water, assorted birdseed, and now they have some spray millet in there (my journal has a short video of them with it, if you could give me your thoughts on their reaction) and I'm just not seeing much out of them.

 

Though the cat food tuna fillet piece did seem to get a reaction as well.  I've gone from five to an over a dozen workers so I know that they're eating something.  I just couldn't tell ya what in particular.

[Broncos]

I've given them crickets, super worms, some cooked chicken, some tuna cat food, honey, sugar water, assorted birdseed, and now they have some spray millet in there (my journal has a short video of them with it, if you could give me your thoughts on their reaction) and I'm just not seeing much out of them.

 

Though the cat food tuna fillet piece did seem to get a reaction as well.  I've gone from five to an over a dozen workers so I know that they're eating something.  I just couldn't tell ya what in particular.

I forgot to mention this I think. I found it to be extremely helpful in all colonies in the founding stages to put like 5-10 live fruit flies in the formicarium. It "trains" them to take down food easier and more efficiently. They start developing new strategies. Then as my novo colony got larger, I gave  them a bunch of live, newborn crickets. A larger and more nutritious prey. Then they were pretty much able to take down large, live crickets with ease after 70ish workers. But I suggest you do not put them in live. Make sure the seeds don't have insect growth regulators or pesticides. Maybe email the company.

Edited by Broncos, February 11 2021 - 12:54 PM.

[CasiahJade]

 

I've given them crickets, super worms, some cooked chicken, some tuna cat food, honey, sugar water, assorted birdseed, and now they have some spray millet in there (my journal has a short video of them with it, if you could give me your thoughts on their reaction) and I'm just not seeing much out of them.

 

Though the cat food tuna fillet piece did seem to get a reaction as well.  I've gone from five to an over a dozen workers so I know that they're eating something.  I just couldn't tell ya what in particular.

I forgot to mention this I think. I found it to be extremely helpful in all colonies in the founding stages to put like 5-10 live fruit flies in the formicarium. It "trains" them to take down food easier and more efficiently. They start developing new strategies. Then as my novo colony got larger, I gave  them a bunch of live, newborn crickets. A larger and more nutritious prey. Then they were pretty much able to take down large, live crickets with ease after 70ish workers. But I suggest you do not put them in live. Make sure the seeds don't have insect growth regulators or pesticides. Maybe email the company.

 

Alright, I'll get some!

[Broncos]

This colony has already outgrown this terrarium and I don't know what to do. I already have a 50 gallon terrarium with a colony that really needs it. I see the queen every now and then and they have to have hundreds of larva and pupae. But these novos are just so cool and they grow so fast! If you have any ideas on how to expand please share!

[NoveltyAntsYT]

what could be cool is if you made ur own nest with firebrick, which is basically like ytong, was actually planning on making a video about how too. Its really fun to carve out to "brick" and is pretty rewarding when you make their nest, ur choice though.

[Broncos]

what could be cool is if you made ur own nest with firebrick, which is basically like ytong, was actually planning on making a video about how too. Its really fun to carve out to "brick" and is pretty rewarding when you make their nest, ur choice though.

That would be cool! Its just very expensive.

[Broncos]

This colony died of mysterious causes.

[KadinB]

This colony died of mysterious causes.

Wow. The thread's last update was them doing really then boom dead. R.I.P.