122 replies to this topic

[Wegmier]

Update 16: Callow Room (12-09-2019)

 

They're still doing great. The colony has recently hollowed out two adult dubia roaches that I fed them

 

There's still loads of larvae. I'm expecting one more baby boom before hibernation

 

All the callows who just emerged from their cocoons are hanging out:

[Wegmier]

Update 17: Naked pupae (25-09-2019)

 

Another big pile of cocoons. It's always fun to watch the ants take care of their brood

 

There's also some naked pupae visible in there: larvae that didn't manage to spin a cocoon but are still metamorphosing into adult workers

[Wegmier]

Update 18: Getting used to the cold (09-10-2019)

 

As hibernation is approaching, I opened the windows again. Chilly!

 

This way the ants can gradually ease into hibernation. It's interesting to see the colony's behaviour changing with the temperature. It was very cold (14 °C) for a moment and a large group of workers started gathering in the outworld... Even newly emerged callows came out of the nest... Not sure why

 

I'm putting the colony in the fridge around the end of October / early November

[Wegmier]

Update 19: Another year (16-03-2020)

 

The colony went into the fridge four months ago, now they've emerged from hibernation. All pupae had eclosed before hibernation. However the colony still had a lot of larvae at that point. That shouldn't have been a problem because larvae can survive hibernation, but the huge larvae-to-worker ratio had me a bit bit worried at the time. But they all seem to have survived!

 

Early march I began raising the temperature of the fridge. A few days ago I took the colony out and they've completely woken up. They seem very active, though they barely accept any food yet



Lots of tiny larvae who have hibernated:

[RushmoreAnts]

Wish we had L. niger. Our native Lasius aren't nearly as prolific and hardy. If we wanted something that grew as fast as your colony did we'd have to keep Tetramorium (many of us do, actually), which has become a destructive invasive in North America. But anyways, I love your colony, partially because the journal was very organized and fun to read. Keep up the good work!

[Antkid12]

Wow, awesome colony!

[Kaelwizard]

Wish we had L. niger. Our native Lasius aren't nearly as prolific and hardy. If we wanted something that grew as fast as your colony did we'd have to keep Tetramorium (many of us do, actually), which has become a destructive invasive in North America. But anyways, I love your colony, partially because the journal was very organized and fun to read. Keep up the good work!

Are L. neoniger not as hardy?

[Wegmier]

Wish we had L. niger. Our native Lasius aren't nearly as prolific and hardy. If we wanted something that grew as fast as your colony did we'd have to keep Tetramorium (many of us do, actually), which has become a destructive invasive in North America. But anyways, I love your colony, partially because the journal was very organized and fun to read. Keep up the good work!

Ooh I see. I've actually been trying to find a Tetramorium queen for a while now. The most common Tetramorium here (T. caespitum) is granivorous which I think would be fascinating to keep. And thank you!

 

Wow, awesome colony!

 

Thanks!

[Wegmier]

Update 20: Nest options (18-03-2020)

 

Hundreds of worksters are in the outworld and in the vinyl tube leading to it. They're just sitting still in the outworld, instead of foraging... Are they treating it as a part of their nest now? Maybe they've outgrown their 3d-nests

 

Tomorrow I'll connect them to either another 3d-nest I bought, or my first ever Ytong nest

Workers just sitting idly in the outworld:


Choices... The larger 3d-nest I bought, or the huge Ytong nest I carved?:

[NickAnter]

Id like to see a journal on the Lasius fuliginosus! And that nest looks really good!!

[Kaelwizard]

Start with the 3D then once they outgrow all three of them move the whole colony out of those nests and into the Ytong nest. That way the colony will take up more space in the Ytong nest since it is so big.

[Wegmier]

Update 21: Exploration (29-03-2020)

 

I was hoping to attach the Ytong nest. But because of a dumb mistake that I made, the Ytong was still soaking wet. It would take a few days for it to dry. I ended up attaching the new 3D-formicarium instead.

 

They immediately started exploring their new nest! Nigers are very confident and eager explorers

(I wish I had made better pictures at the time, some of these are blurry screenshots of a video)

20 minutes after attaching the nest:


A day later, the majority of the colony had moved in!:


Some of the larvae that hibernated have turned into a nice pupa pile:


The queen engaging in trophallaxis with a worker (top-right above the gypsum plug):

[Wegmier]

Update 22: The brood pile grows (02-04-2020)

 

The colony is eating a lot now. It's difficult for me to estimate how much they really need... I'm going to set-up a dubia roach culture. That'll hopefully be a good long-term solution for protein?

The queen has started laying eggs again and is constantly swarmed by workers



The beginnings of physogastry - or just full on reserves?

[Wegmier]

Update 23: Easter (13-04-2020)

 

That clutch of eggs of two weeks ago has grown significantly. That's hundreds of future workers on the way!

 

I gave the colony a piece of cooked egg today - it's Easter after all. The workers took a tiny amount of egg yolk into the nest, but otherwise they didn't seem very interested in it



Semi-cooked egg yolk

[Wegmier]

Update 24: Cocoon Garden (01-05-2020)

 

The new main nest is filling up nicely

The colony has allocated a corner of their outworld for the disposal of cocoon shreds

Edited by Wegmier, August 5 2020 - 7:01 AM.

[Wegmier]

Update 25: Escape Attempt? (02-05-2020)

 

I just now noticed that the colony almost broke through the talcum barrier in one corner! In my blind spot too. Clever girls.
How long have they been going at this?

 

I'm just glad that I found out in time.

[Wegmier]

Update 26: The egg pile grows (14-05-2020)

 

Not much else to report

One time when trying to tap springtails into their outworld, I accidentally dropped the entire springtail culture in it... Cocos substrate and all. I can't remove it without hundreds of ant escapees, so I'm gonna leave it as it is.

Edited by Wegmier, August 5 2020 - 3:04 PM.

[Wegmier]

Update 27: Ytong nest & new lands (29-05-2020)

 

I made a new Ytong/AAC nest for the colony! I wasn't really satisfied with my first one

It took hours of chiseling with a flat screwdriver, but I'm happy with the results

After attaching the new nest, workers immediately rushed in to scout it. Within ten minutes they had started moving brood to the Ytong nest.

 

A day later a good share of the colony has moved in! Including most of the larvae

Edited by Wegmier, August 5 2020 - 3:05 PM.

[BlueLance213]

What temp do you keep your colony at? Mine are just being kept at room temp which us 20C, I know that that temp is fine but us it ideal for the colony?

[TechAnt]

Wegmier, your journal is simply brilliant, brilliant I say. Also, if you have not used it already, have you tried fluon as a escape barrier so the ants won’t escape? Fluon is by far one of the best escape barriers, and surely should keep them in, its only a bit pricey though. Also I love the Ytong nest, it looks like a professional brand for formicaria, if you got some non toxic paint it could look nicer.

Edited by TechAnt, August 5 2020 - 9:44 AM.