137 replies to this topic

[ZTYguy]

that's a great sign. I would not worry and leave them be for a while. I would be concerned if they just were just like statues.

[Swirlysnowflake]

that's a great sign. I would not worry and leave them be for a while. I would be concerned if they just were just like statues.

ok... i literally can't even see one of them anymore. the one that was cleaning its legs has stopped. its wings are kinda tucked under its abdomen and its antennae are straight by its side should i be worried now?

I'm so scared that i hurt themmm 

[ZTYguy]

They probably need some time. 

[Swirlysnowflake]

ok so another wasp keeper just told me that this has happened before to their wasps and since it’s too cold for them to fly they just crawl around until they calm down. phew

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, November 5 2020 - 11:22 AM.

[Swirlysnowflake]

yay! good news- one queen has climbed back up, and is sitting back between two pieces of cardboard! hopefully the other one recovers soon. i’m planning to get the larger tanks set up today and just keep the kritter keepers inside, opening the small lid in the middle, and allowing them to come out whenever they want. 

[ZTYguy]

Sound great! Hope the other queen get back to normal

[Swirlysnowflake]

yayy both have recovered! i just got a lovely pic of a queen sipping some honey water. she is so cute 

um. why is it sideways. well idk how to fix that lol

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, November 5 2020 - 1:10 PM.

[Swirlysnowflake]

ignore the dirtiness of the bowl, she kinda spread eco earth all over it so ill take it out when she’s done drinking 

[ZTYguy]

so jelly. Always wanted to raise wasps.

[Swirlysnowflake]

so jelly. Always wanted to raise wasps.

u can go out looking now for pre-hibernation queens! almost all workers are dead now, so you’ll be pretty safe. i found these two behind a metal sign on a wooden post along with like 20-30 other queens, and i actually only realized they were there because there were like 7 dead ones in the spider webs. i think polistes like to hibernate vertically, while vespula hibernate on the ground. 

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, November 5 2020 - 1:24 PM.

[ponerinecat]

They look dead during hibernation, I've found Vespula gynes covered in frost and curled up that go back to normal when exposed to my body heat. They're resilient insects, no need to worry about a fall unless you crushed them between the lid and the tank rim.

[Swirlysnowflake]

i went outside to grab something from near where the wasps are and one of the queens was sitting on the glass and when i got closer she opened her mandibles and flashed her stinger at me. y i k e s 

They look dead during hibernation, I've found Vespula gynes covered in frost and curled up that go back to normal when exposed to my body heat. They're resilient insects, no need to worry about a fall unless you crushed them between the lid and the tank rim.

covered in frost?! and they are still alive? wow that is cool

[Swirlysnowflake]

its amazing how different the two queens personalities are. the queen living in the blue kritter keeper (i have dubbed her the “blue box queen”) is quite aggressive, often flashing her stinger at me. The other queen, in a black kritter keeper (I've dubbed her the “black box queen”. i’m so creative with names, i know  ) is calm, and likes to wedge herself into tiny cracks.

 

also someone please help me find names so that i am not forever calling them the blue box queen and the black box queen 

Edited by Swirlysnowflake, November 5 2020 - 4:05 PM.

[Spazmops]

I was thinking of keeping solitary velvet ants. And maybe trying to mimic their reproduction in the wild by finding a colony to set up. Hopefully I don't die.... just kidding but their sting really hurts from my experience and others.

Velvet ants are the bane of my existence. I swear out here in Colorado I find more velvet ants than actual queens, and they always fool me before I take a closer look.

[Swirlysnowflake]

 

I was thinking of keeping solitary velvet ants. And maybe trying to mimic their reproduction in the wild by finding a colony to set up. Hopefully I don't die.... just kidding but their sting really hurts from my experience and others.

Velvet ants are the bane of my existence. I swear out here in Colorado I find more velvet ants than actual queens, and they always fool me before I take a closer look.

ugh i wish i could find velvet ants!

[TennesseeAnts]

 

 

I was thinking of keeping solitary velvet ants. And maybe trying to mimic their reproduction in the wild by finding a colony to set up. Hopefully I don't die.... just kidding but their sting really hurts from my experience and others.

Velvet ants are the bane of my existence. I swear out here in Colorado I find more velvet ants than actual queens, and they always fool me before I take a closer look.

ugh i wish i could find velvet ants!

 

Trust me, they're more trouble than they're worth. Just wait till you step on one bare-footed.

[TennesseeAnts]

I have some wasps myself:

 

 

 

 

[Swirlysnowflake]

Beautiful queens!

and i got the big tank set up for the queens, and placed the kritter keepers in and opened them. pics coming soon!

[ponerinecat]

its amazing how different the two queens personalities are. the queen living in the blue kritter keeper (i have dubbed her the “blue box queen”) is quite aggressive, often flashing her stinger at me. The other queen, in a black kritter keeper (I've dubbed her the “black box queen”. i’m so creative with names, i know  ) is calm, and likes to wedge herself into tiny cracks.

 

also someone please help me find names so that i am not forever calling them the blue box queen and the black box queen 

You'll find that individual workers have different personalities and can recognize faces, they're intelligent little things.

[Antkeeper01]

 

I was thinking of keeping solitary velvet ants. And maybe trying to mimic their reproduction in the wild by finding a colony to set up. Hopefully I don't die.... just kidding but their sting really hurts from my experience and others.

Velvet ants are the bane of my existence. I swear out here in Colorado I find more velvet ants than actual queens, and they always fool me before I take a closer look.

 

i have seen 2 velvet ant queens one in my grandparents backyard and one in my back yard.