Hey all!
Started antkeeping in may, first colony was a 2 worker Camponotus Castaneus colony. Figured I would start a journal to document everything 
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8/12/20
C. Castaneus
My camponotus castaneus are really struggling, one of the workers of the colony died, now left back when I started with 2 workers. They seem to have eaten all of the brood on a drive back home from a fellow antkeeper that was watching them while I was vacationing in FL, and have only a few very small larvae. They seem to be deep into prepping for diapause, and their gasters are full of honey. Hope they make it through hibernation. I've ordered fruit fly culutres to provide a source of nitrogen and add some variety to the boiled chicken, egg yolk, and mealworms i've been feeding. A mini hearth for them is on the way, as i've heard they do better in more earthy formicaria. They were originally underfed before I got them, and this is their second year (with only 2 workers), so it's quite the project. Let me know if you have any tips
I bought 3 new colonies on Saturday (8/8), Formica Pallidefulva, Aphaenogaster Picea, and a Sp. of Pheidole. Formica have 8 workers and 4 pupae, large brood pile. Pheidole and Aphaenogaster both have larvae
Formica Pallidefulva
The formica have been incredibly active and interesting to watch, especially compared to my C. Castaneus (mostly active at night, and not very active at all), I fed them some honey when they first arrived, and attatched a new, clean tube with an AC portal due to their old tube being moldy. Using light and vibrations, I was able to get them to move and removed the old tube. I have a mini hearth ready for them, just waiting on some tubing to arrive to connect them to it. Will be neat to watch in the hearth... picture attached.
Aphaenogaster Picea & Pheidole
Both of these queens haven't changed, I checked on them today and will be checking on them weekly or biweekly until their first nanitics arrive.
Hope you found this somewhat interesting, i'll be updating here weekly/whenever something big happens. I'll be updating and posting more frequently on instagram (@hiddenants).
Thanks!
, Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi! 
