38 replies to this topic

[BugFinder]

I was at a customers office in South San Jose on 4/17/20 investigating a report of flying insects when I found and collected this queen.  She was collected with two males that I thought were queens at the time.  On 4/18 I treated the rest of the ants in the office building.

 

I kept the three of them in a plastic bottle until 4/20 when I was able to get some tubes together.  i put her in a tube and discared the two males.  When I collected her, she had both wings, but sometime between then and putting her in the tube she had lost one of her wings.  One wing is still intact.  I don't know if she has mated yet, but she seems to be healthy.  I added some grains of brown sugar to her tube for feed, and placed her in a dark, cabinet.  Photos coming soon!

Edited by BugFinder, April 21 2020 - 6:38 PM.

[dspdrew]

He's back.

[BugFinder]

I checked on her today.  she ate about half of the sugar I put in her tube yesteray.  she looks healthy(ish).  I'm hoping she lives and lays eggs.  

[BugFinder]

I haven't checked on her for a few days because I read they are fully calaustral and I didn't want to bother her.  I checked on her this morning and found a nice little egg pile.  Probably a dozen of eggs or more.  I'm so excited to be ant keeping again!  

[RushmoreAnts]

I haven't checked on her for a few days because I read they are fully calaustral and I didn't want to bother her.  I checked on her this morning and found a nice little egg pile.  Probably a dozen of eggs or more.  I'm so excited to be ant keeping again!

Those eggs should hatch in a week or two.

[ANTdrew]

Excellent. I’ll be following.

[ponerinecat]

Tetras are always fun, too bad I don't have them here. Actually i suppose that may be a good thing.

[Temperateants]

Tetramorium is such a boss genus, they are amazing. Like RIFA but nicer. And they don't eat small vertebrates. 

[ANTdrew]

They would if you gave them one to eat. My mega colony could definitely take down a mouse if I put it in their tank. Not even joking.

[ADHTCIAD]

They would if you gave them one to eat. My mega colony could definitely take down a mouse if I put it in their tank. Not even joking.

Lol I so hope my colony ends up that size.

[BugFinder]

I checked the ants today.  Not much change - It looks like she has a huge egg pile, she seems to have tunneled a bit into the cotton ball and pushed the eggs into it.  I put her tube in a box with a little sand, and offered her a little honey.  She has no workers so i know she won't come out and get any of it, but I wanted to have it there so that if I don't notice workers right away they have immediate access to food when they want it, whenever that day comes, lol.  I typically check on them only once every 7-10 days because i want to disturb them as little as possible, the rest of the time they are in the dark in the cabinet where I keep my Tshirts.

 

 

 

[RushmoreAnts]

Most of those eggs will probably be used for food. You should have around ten nanitics.

[BugFinder]

Is it normal for her to eat most of her eggs, or should i be feeding her?

[BugFinder]

if I shove a dead cricket into the tube, do you think she will eat it, or should I leave her alone?

[RushmoreAnts]

if I shove a dead cricket into the tube, do you think she will eat it, or should I leave her alone?

She might eat a cricket leg, but a whole cricket is too much for one queen. It would probably cause mold problems.

[ANTdrew]

I wouldn’t bother her in any way. Tetras are super easy, but they really hate disturbance in their nest area.

[BugFinder]

It looks like she has hauled her eggs out of the tube and is hanging out with them in a corner of the outworld.  she has also put some of the dirt from her outworld inside the tube.

[ANTdrew]

That’s not a good sign. A fully claustral queen shouldn’t have an outworld yet until she has workers.

[Antkid12]

Good luck! A week ago a saw a nuptial flight of Tetramorium but for some reason none of the alates could fly, and they were spinning in circles on the ground. 

Edited by Antkid12, May 19 2020 - 7:58 AM.

[RushmoreAnts]

Good luck! A week ago a saw a nuptial flight of Tetramorium but for some reason none of the alates could fly, and they were spinning in circles on the ground. 

If I'm not mistaken, I believe Tetramorium will oftentimes mate on the ground.