24 replies to this topic

[BugFinder]

On 2/22/21 I purchased a C. Vicinus founding colony from cocdeshijie.  I expect it to arrive on Saturday, 2/27.  I'm pretty excited!!

[BugFinder]

I'm thinking about picking up this nest and this outworld for the new colony!!  Does anyone have any experience/feedback with this nest?  TIA.

Edited by BugFinder, February 25 2021 - 9:53 PM.

[Kaelwizard]

People don't like Ant Shack too much, but I have heard great things about Aus Ants.

[Bobby_Hill]

If you can afford that stuff why not get something from Tar Heel Ants

[BugFinder]

People don't like Ant Shack too much, but I have heard great things about Aus Ants.

 Thanks for that feedback, I really appreciate it.

[BugFinder]

If you can afford that stuff why not get something from Tar Heel Ants

 

I have some products from Tar Heel.  They make good products, for sure. I really like them.  I would really like to buy a little bit from everyone, partly to support the community, and partly to get an idea for how I like each of the vendors and their products.   

 

The vast majority of what I have purchased over the years has come from Tar heel.  he is a good vendor to work with and makes a really good product.

 

As much as I like their products, I have not figured out how to get good photos of the ants in Tar Heel Ants nest products with my microscope.  If you have any advice on that I would appreciate it.

Edited by BugFinder, February 28 2021 - 8:53 AM.

[BugFinder]

The colony arrived yesterday.  They look healthy and active.  There is about 8-12 ants (haven't been able to count them yet), and no brood or eggs.  They were packaged really, really well, and shipped quickly.  I'm very happy with them.   Thank you cocdeshijie!!

 

Once I get my microscope set up (that may take a month or two, I just moved here and I'm still unpacking/settling in, while working full time) I'll get you guys some photos of them.

[BugFinder]

I offered them freeze dried blood worms yesterday - they don't seem to like them.  I'm going to have to find some crickets.   

 

I'm cleaning out the plastic box that I used for the Tetramorium (sp) queen to put this colony in.   They should be in there tomorrow, then I can offer them some fruit.  I don't like the idea of putting food directly into the test tube.

[BugFinder]

I offered them pineapple yesterday.  they don't appear to have eaten any of it.  I'm going to remove the pineapple today and offer them a dead cricket.

 

They look like they aren't moving around much, except when I uncover the tube they are in.   I don't think they have explored the outworld at all, and until they do, won't find any food I have offered them.  Is it possible they could still by in hybernation mode?  The temp in my home varies between around 67F at night to a high of 75F during the day.  75F days have been rare this week, with temps staying around 70F during the day.   TIA.

Edited by BugFinder, March 5 2021 - 6:38 PM.

[ANTdrew]

My experience with various species I’ve kept is that they will hardly eat at all in temperatures like those. Consider a heat cable, but go slow with the heat and only heat a bit at a time to see how they react. Do not bake your ants.

[Ants_Dakota]

I offered them pineapple yesterday.  they don't appear to have eaten any of it.  I'm going to remove the pineapple today and offer them a dead cricket.

 

They look like they aren't moving around much, except when I uncover the tube they are in.   I don't think they have explored the outworld at all, and until they do, won't find any food I have offered them.  Is it possible they could still by in hybernation mode?  The temp in my home varies between around 67F at night to a high of 75F during the day.  75F days have been rare this week, with temps staying around 70F during the day.   TIA.

camponotus do love fruit, so keep trying different kinds of fruit until you find one the like. they do love mealworms, i have found. chop the mealworms into pretty small pieces, so they can bring them to their nest. for some reason, my camponotus don't really go to town on large foods, but small mealworms they drag into their nest and demolish. 

[BugFinder]

 

I offered them pineapple yesterday.  they don't appear to have eaten any of it.  I'm going to remove the pineapple today and offer them a dead cricket.

 

They look like they aren't moving around much, except when I uncover the tube they are in.   I don't think they have explored the outworld at all, and until they do, won't find any food I have offered them.  Is it possible they could still by in hybernation mode?  The temp in my home varies between around 67F at night to a high of 75F during the day.  75F days have been rare this week, with temps staying around 70F during the day.   TIA.

camponotus do love fruit, so keep trying different kinds of fruit until you find one the like. they do love mealworms, i have found. chop the mealworms into pretty small pieces, so they can bring them to their nest. for some reason, my camponotus don't really go to town on large foods, but small mealworms they drag into their nest and demolish. 

 

 

Thank you for that information, I really appreciate it!

[BugFinder]

I removed the pineapplce and tiny piece of italian sausage I had offered them, and placed a small cricket and a piece of a banana in the outworld this morning (about 8 hours ago).  I just checked on them and saw an ant exploring the outworld for the first time, very close to the food, so I covered them back up quickly to let them be.  I'm way less stressed out about them now than I was before seeing that, lol.

[BugFinder]

I ordered a mini-hearth from Tar Heel Ants.   I checked the ants today, they don't seem to have eaten anything.  I removed the banana and left the cricket.  No eggs yet that I can see.

[BugFinder]

I checked the ants today, and discovered a very small pile of eggs.  I didn't get a good count, but it looks like there must be at least 4 eggs.  I'm concerned they still haven't eaten any of the food i have offered them, but I they don't look like they are poorly, and I guess they will eat when they decide they want to eat.

 

I'm very happy to see a few eggs, and hope there are more eggs on the way.

 

I'm having a problem wiith my microscope, but once I've resolved it I will get some photos to share.  I'm hoping to hear from Amscope tomorrow.

Edited by BugFinder, March 21 2021 - 10:33 AM.

[BugFinder]

they are still not touching those crickets for some reason.  I've replaced the cricket with a fresh one, nothing.  replaced their feeding dish with a different kind, still nothing. so today I added some honey just incase they just don't like crickets.....   I don't know how they can last so long without eating anything.  sometime this week I'll stop and pick up some meal worms to see if htey like those better.  I know they need protein right now.

Edited by BugFinder, March 22 2021 - 9:09 AM.

[DDD101DDD]

Maybe you could try a little piece of cooked shrimp? I gave my colony some a few days ago and they loved it.

[BugFinder]

I've tried a piece of sausage from one of my pizzas - they didn't like that either.  I don't eat much shrimp. lol.

[brian]

I can't get mine to touch any insects I have tried eather. I'm starting to get worried.

[YsTheAnt]

I have never had Camponotus reject fruit flies, perhaps yours might like them?