60 replies to this topic

[TechAnt]

Update August 19th, 2020

Again, sorry for all the inactivity, but Camponotus being Camponotus they just have very slow development. I fed them like 5-6 fruit flies and they ate ALL of them. It was crazy, I placed the frozen fruit flies in their side outworld, and caught one drinking some sunburst, and they all rushed out and just dragged them all in. I may be able to get pics later depending if they want to cooperate with me pointing my phone at them. Also cool thing I have noticed ever since I moved them in to the formicarium, they always have had a ‘guard ant’ at the exit of the tubing that leads into the outworld. Currently none of them are doing that but I will try to get a photo of it later.

Edited by TechAnt, August 20 2020 - 7:33 AM.

[TechAnt]

Photos after their feast, also I noticed the queen has become VERY physogastric and I spotted her laying a couple eggs! At the end of the photos you can see the guard I was talking about, she was there for a couple hours guarding the exit, but as I turned on the AC everyone has come inside:

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[ANTdrew]

Looking good.

[TechAnt]

Update Aug 20, 2020.

So I saw a little small larvae sitting in the brood pile, I was going to take the photo but when I turned on the lights so the camera could actually have decent lighting. As the room was in the dark, and I only had the windows on the other side giving a bit of natural light. They freaked out and the queen dashed over her brood pile obscuring most of the brood, including the small larvae from view . I will try to get photos of it later.

Edited by TechAnt, August 20 2020 - 7:31 AM.

[RushmoreAnts]

They freaked out and the queen dashed over her brood pile obscuring most of the brood, including the small larvae from view

This happens all the time with my Pogonomyrmex. However Pogonomyrmex queens are too small to block out an entire brood pile. 

[TechAnt]

They freaked out and the queen dashed over her brood pile obscuring most of the brood, including the small larvae from view

This happens all the time with my Pogonomyrmex. However Pogonomyrmex queens are too small to block out an entire brood pile. 

Yeah this queen is very plump now. It seems she grew bigger overnight after I fed them all those fruit flies.

[RushmoreAnts]

 

 

They freaked out and the queen dashed over her brood pile obscuring most of the brood, including the small larvae from view

This happens all the time with my Pogonomyrmex. However Pogonomyrmex queens are too small to block out an entire brood pile. 

Yeah this queen is very plump now. It seems she grew bigger overnight after I fed them all those fruit flies.

 

My Camponotus of all species also use their queens in this way. 

[TechAnt]

Update September 1st, 2020

Photos will come later, but they have a brood pile with 4-5 eggs, and two pupae. Now they sit at 10 workers. They seem to be less active then they used to at the beginning of August. I'm not sure how I will handle hibernation for them which is coming up relatively soon as winter is arriving in a couple months. I don't have a wine cooler or anything so I will need to figure it out.

Edited by TechAnt, September 1 2020 - 8:53 AM.

[ANTdrew]

A regular fridge would work, too.

[TechAnt]

A regular fridge would work, too.

Oh thanks, well I guess i'm going to have to make a place in my fridge.

[ANTdrew]

Decrease the cooling a bit. Most people keep their fridges much cooler than they need to be anyway.

[TechAnt]

Update September 21st, 2020.

Slow, slow growth..slow as a sloth.
They have only gotten a small new egg pile and a new worker since the last update. Camponotus never fail their reputation at slow growth.

Edited by TechAnt, September 22 2020 - 7:26 AM.

[DDD101DDD]

Just saying, Camponotus in my experience are pretty oblivious to light and vibrations so they won't really be bothered by light when you take pictures.

[nixxx]

Just read your entire journal. By the looks of it your colony looks healthy and happy. Just growing like a well camponotus colony does. Looking forward to seeing more updates.

[TechAnt]

Just read your entire journal. By the looks of it your colony looks healthy and happy. Just growing like a well camponotus colony does. Looking forward to seeing more updates.

Thanks, I would update more but their growth is so slow.

[Kaelwizard]

Just read your entire journal. By the looks of it your colony looks healthy and happy. Just growing like a well camponotus colony does. Looking forward to seeing more updates.

I feel like I've seen you in every Camponotus journal. You must really like them.

[Ants_Dakota]

camponotus are the best. i have a colony of novaeboracensis, and absolutely love them.

[RushmoreAnts]

 

Just read your entire journal. By the looks of it your colony looks healthy and happy. Just growing like a well camponotus colony does. Looking forward to seeing more updates.

I feel like I've seen you in every Camponotus journal. You must really like them.

 

He's truly Crazy4Camponotus (a thing from my Discord).

[Hiromilovesmealworms]

Is there going to be an update or are they dead?

[ANTdrew]

Check the year. This member is long gone.