117 replies to this topic

[KitsAntVa]

Monday, This queen I bought from Tar Heel ants, great queens definitely will buy again. But back to the journal this queen came with six workers which is great, a batch of eggs and two larvae this was Monday the first day.
Tuesday, this queen now has a heating mat for her in their mini hearth and 1 worker actively foraging every day. Now we have a bigger batch of eggs and 3 larvae.
Wednesday, the queen is doing great! She has a small batch of eggs and still three larvae. I also saw a larvae eating a seed. As of today when I fed all my colony some chicken and honey I fed the Pogonomyrmex chicken and honey and lemme tell you they really like honey, three workers came out to have some that’s half the colony size! The pictures of her and the workers are just after they moved into the mini hearth Monday.

Edited by KitsAntVa, April 15 2021 - 7:41 AM.

[RushmoreAnts]

How many workers did you buy?

[KitsAntVa]

I bought her with none but during shipping she got 6.

[KitsAntVa]

As of today the queen is in her mini hearth and the workers are constantly in the outworld, they have put a bunch of sand all over the glass. If anyone knows the trick that tar heel ants used to clean their glass please tell me. Also more eggs I feel these are really gonna explode soon.

[Spazmops]

The easiest way is to shake the hearth or rinse it beforehand to get the loose sand out, I’m having the exact same problem with the exact same species. What I’m going to try is to take the glass from an unoccupied minihearth, swap them, clean the glass, and swap them again.

[Kaelwizard]

If you chill them you could take it off and clean it. It might be better to put the mini hearth in a container so that the ants aren’t loose in your home if they get out.

[KitsAntVa]

Yes that would be good but actually there is this way that pogonomyrmex occidentalis ant keeping and THA uses without even taking the glass off because those two people are about the best of the best Pogonomyrmex keepers around.

[ANTdrew]

I put tin foil over the glass on my THA set ups for the comfort of all my ants. If they are dark, they don’t stick sand anywhere.

Edited by ANTdrew, August 22 2020 - 3:04 PM.

[RushmoreAnts]

I make paper coverings that fit well on the formicariums. I can't have tinfoil, as my cats would eat it.  But otherwise I think it's the better idea.

[KitsAntVa]

Today is a great day! As of checking them today I found a big pile of eggs maybe around 8-10 and 3 larvae plus 2 pupae I think one pupae is hardening now or that was just a larvae newly fed in the way. I’ll post pictures later but so far they are doing great. I’m starting to change their diet slowly and I have notice they have started eating the flax seeds. Soon I’ll go to a place and get some seeds like chia and the Pogonomyrmex should explode!

[Antkid12]

Cool.

[KitsAntVa]

As this season comes to an end this will probably be my last update or topic on this website, my Pogonomyrmex queen is doing great she has about 9 workers plus around 10 larvae 4 pupae and around 20 eggs I fed them a isopod and three termite soldiers yesterday which are now gonna completely, but I got to see the larvae in a circle I fed them another isopod today and they have just brought it in the nest the next update if I do make one will be on how many workers they have. New pictures added up top.

[Ants_Dakota]

Cool! Can't wait to hear more!

[Spazmops]

I wish I’d caught my queen earlier, she only has 1 pupae and it’s snowing outside. I’m glad to hear yours is doing well though!

[Antkeeper01]

could be worse mine has 1 larva.

[KitsAntVa]

Well next year just add a heating pad you should have at least 30-40 by the end of the year then if not more.

[Antkeeper01]

wait make that 0

[Ants_Dakota]

Oh no! That doesn't sound good. Maybe the queen had bad genetics?

[Antkeeper01]

she had around 6 but is now down to around 7 eggs

[DDD101DDD]

she had around 6 but is now down to around 7 eggs

Maybe you keep looking at her too much. Pogonomyrmex are very easily stressed.