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My Formica subsericea colony.

Started By Antcatcherpro3 , Mar 8 2021 9:12 AM

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#1 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 8 2021 - 9:12 AM

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Hello everyone! I am new to this forum(not to ant keeping), and I would like to share about my formica colony. I caught my queen in august but she never layed eggs until late september. I was going to set her free but when I went to do it she had an egg! :D So I kept her. The next month she raised 2 nanitics, and now she has survived hibernation and she layed 2 more eggs. I have been feeding the mealworms and cricket legs. But as seeing a lot of other ant jounrals( not all) the queens end up dying at the end, and the the keepers find a new queen next nuptial flight. I'm not saying that going to happen to my colony tho... :thinking: I will include pics as soon as a can.


#2 Online Ants_Dakota - Posted March 8 2021 - 9:31 AM

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Hello everyone! I am new to this forum(not to ant keeping), and I would like to share about my formica colony. I caught my queen in august but she never layed eggs until late september. I was going to set her free but when I went to do it she had an egg! :D So I kept her. The next month she raised 2 nanitics, and now she has survived hibernation and she layed 2 more eggs. I have been feeding the mealworms and cricket legs. But as seeing a lot of other ant jounrals( not all) the queens end up dying at the end, and the the keepers find a new queen next nuptial flight. I'm not saying that going to happen to my colony tho... :thinking: I will include pics as soon as a can.

formica are an easier species to keep AS LONG AS YOU FEED THEM OFTEN!!! that is the key. so i would get them a small outworld, and feed them like every other day.


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#3 Offline ANTdrew - Posted March 8 2021 - 9:31 AM

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Yes, a lot of people's queens die. This is can be for many reasons, but a big one is that common sense is not that common. Do your research and follow best practices for ant-keeping, and you'll do great.


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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#4 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 8 2021 - 4:32 PM

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Thanks for the advice. I have an outworld but my colony is only a colony of 2 so I wasn't sure if they were big enough for an outworld yet. And yes mine do eat a lot.


Edit: 2 workers and a queen and 1 egg.


I will post pictures soon.


#5 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 8 2021 - 4:48 PM

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Prior to this morning nothing new has happened, but when I checked on them today, they an picked up the tube, I noticed that they were rather more clumsy then my other ants. And shy.


#6 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 8 2021 - 4:53 PM

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And one question, how long does it take for a formica egg to turn into a worker?


#7 Offline ANTdrew - Posted March 8 2021 - 5:15 PM

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Five to six weeks, but it can even be faster.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#8 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted March 8 2021 - 10:03 PM

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Thanks for the advice. I have an outworld but my colony is only a colony of 2 so I wasn't sure if they were big enough for an outworld yet. And yes mine do eat a lot.
Edit: 2 workers and a queen and 1 egg.
I will post pictures soon.

They don't need an outworld with only 2 workers. Just feed sugars on a piece of baking paper or foil. Also, cut off the excess insides for the insect parts you give your ants so it doesn't get on their tube.

Edited by MinigunL5, March 8 2021 - 10:06 PM.

#9 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 9 2021 - 4:55 AM

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Ok thanks. I want my colony to grow up big but I know that will take a while. Pheidole eggs turn into workers a lot quicker.

 

Five to six weeks, but it can even be faster.


I will post pictures today.


#10 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 9 2021 - 9:22 AM

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IMG 20210308 122014

 Here are the pics of my colony.


There are eggs also, but you just can't see them in the pic.


#11 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted March 9 2021 - 9:30 AM

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Nice! The queen looks healthy and fat.


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#12 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 9 2021 - 10:27 AM

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yup she is. I fed them a mealworm and some honey yesterday.


#13 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 9 2021 - 11:43 AM

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I am going to be catching a lot more queens this year so I will soon be starting more journals! :D


#14 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted March 9 2021 - 11:50 AM

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I am going to be catching a lot more queens this year so I will soon be starting more journals! :D

Good luck! I'm going to try to limit myself on how many I catch this year since half of them don't survive and I end up releasing some of the ones that do.


#15 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 9 2021 - 1:39 PM

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Well when I don't catch enough queens all of mine end up dying.

 

 

I am going to be catching a lot more queens this year so I will soon be starting more journals! :D

Good luck! I'm going to try to limit myself on how many I catch this year since half of them don't survive and I end up releasing some of the ones that do.

 


#16 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 10 2021 - 3:51 AM

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This journal is doing a lot better then my other one with the pictures.


#17 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted March 10 2021 - 5:25 AM

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This journal is doing a lot better then my other one with the pictures.

Well they are a much larger species. Even so, that picture is way better than the other ones.


#18 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 10 2021 - 6:25 AM

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Yes. If my other test tube had no dirt in the tube it would be easier. But they are so attched and settled into their home I didn't want to disturb them at risk hurting the queen or losing the brood.


#19 Offline 8NIN8 - Posted March 10 2021 - 6:54 AM

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Hi, Everyone - I’m so happy to see this particular topic. I expect to receive a Formica subsericea colony from Tar Heel Ants soon. I’m new to ant keeping as an adult, but had colonies when I was a child.

#20 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted March 10 2021 - 7:30 AM

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Hi, Everyone - I’m so happy to see this particular topic. I expect to receive a Formica subsericea colony from Tar Heel Ants soon. I’m new to ant keeping as an adult, but had colonies when I was a child.

It seems a lot of people are now that he is selling them. 


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