Jump to content

  • Gallery
  • Members
  • Member Map
  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

What can semi-claustral queens eat?

Started By Devi , Sep 18 2020 9:10 AM

  • Please log in to reply
9 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Devi - Posted September 18 2020 - 9:10 AM

Devi

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 602 posts
  • LocationDenver, Colorado

I have a pogonomyrmex queen that I have had soooo much trouble with.  She eats all her brood, she hasn't laid any eggs in two months, I could go on and on.  You can read more about her in her journal if you want.  Anyway, this morning I was refilling her water tower, and I accidentally put in to much water and it overflowed.  Now her nest is at 700% humidity, so I hope that's OK.  I also put in some gross cricket guts in her outworld in hopes she will eat it and like it.  I have lots of dandelion seeds in there, but she doesn't show much interest in them.  She doesn't seem to have issues with going up the tube, which is unusual for pogonomrymex, so that's good.  Will she eat any protein? (cricket guts) Or should I feed her something else?  And if food isn't the issue, what can I do to improve her current state?  

 

 

Here's a picture of cricket guts.  :)  Yum!!

20200918_110324 (1).jpg


#2 Offline TechAnt - Posted September 18 2020 - 9:44 AM

TechAnt

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,303 posts
  • LocationLos Angeles, California

Fruit flies are a great source of protein for ants, you should try that.


  • Ants_Dakota likes this
My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#3 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 18 2020 - 9:55 AM

Ants_Dakota

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,388 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

Fruit flies are a great source of protein for ants, you should try that.

These are like the best for small colonies.


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#4 Offline Devi - Posted September 18 2020 - 10:13 AM

Devi

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 602 posts
  • LocationDenver, Colorado

 

Fruit flies are a great source of protein for ants, you should try that.

These are like the best for small colonies.

 

We don't have fruit flies here, can you buy them somewhere?


#5 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 18 2020 - 10:14 AM

Ants_Dakota

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,388 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

I get them at Petsmart.


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#6 Offline TestSubjectOne - Posted September 18 2020 - 10:36 AM

TestSubjectOne

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 195 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

My picky Camponotus sansabeanus love to eat ant brood. I steal brood from the argentine ants outside my house and they gobble it down. Maybe Pogonomyrmex are the same?


TestSubjectOne's Experiences in Antkeeping General Journal

 

Currently Keeping:

- Veromessor pergandei (1 queen, 600 workers)

- Novomessor cockerelli (1 queen, 200 workers)

- Myrmecocystus mexicanus (1 queen, 100 workers)

- Brachymyrmex patagonicus (3 queens?, 2,000 workers? & alates)

- Crematogaster sp. (1 queen, 600 workers)

- Liometopum occidentale (1 queen, 800 workers)

- Camponotus absqualator (1 queen, 130 workers)

#7 Offline Devi - Posted September 18 2020 - 10:56 AM

Devi

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 602 posts
  • LocationDenver, Colorado

My picky Camponotus sansabeanus love to eat ant brood. I steal brood from the argentine ants outside my house and they gobble it down. Maybe Pogonomyrmex are the same?

Hmm, I have a large solenopsis molesta colony in my backyard, I may try that.  Thanks for the ideas!


#8 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 18 2020 - 11:03 AM

Ants_Dakota

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,388 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

 

My picky Camponotus sansabeanus love to eat ant brood. I steal brood from the argentine ants outside my house and they gobble it down. Maybe Pogonomyrmex are the same?

Hmm, I have a large solenopsis molesta colony in my backyard, I may try that.  Thanks for the ideas!

 

Their brood would be tiny, but if you had enough of it, it might work. Not all colonies eat it though. I have had myrmica refuse brood from other colonies.


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#9 Offline BlueLance213 - Posted September 18 2020 - 12:31 PM

BlueLance213

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 120 posts

If you don't have fruit flies you will most likely have some other equivelant of small fly that appears near rotting plant matter, but for my semi claustral manica rubida she will gladly accept anything small that she can take into her tube, and any sort of insect i give her that is too large she will behead and delimb and take those in. 

 

I find that giving them a protein which is already rotting like the guts just creates more mess and if she doesnt spot it quick enough she seems to just ignore it altogether.


#10 Offline Antkid12 - Posted September 18 2020 - 1:08 PM

Antkid12

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,009 posts
  • LocationFairfax, Virginia

You could try a termite. All my ants love them.


Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 

Back to General · Next Unread Topic →


1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users