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tdlnx’s Formica Subsericea Journal

Started By tdlnx , Mar 2 2021 7:58 AM

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60 replies to this topic

#41 Offline tdlnx - Posted June 27 2021 - 7:48 PM

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Good to know, thanks!

#42 Offline futurebird - Posted June 27 2021 - 8:03 PM

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I have this sp. too and they are so... nervous. I just put them in a natural set up since they seemed so stressed by being in a visible nest. I will make a thread about them at some point. 

 

The strange thing is the skittishness is something they developed *as they got larger*... they used to be calm and I was able to film all sorts of intimate moments... workers eclosing, the queen laying... but then if I got close with the camera they'd panic... IDK why they changed. 


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Starting this July I'm posting videos of my ants every week on youTube.

I like to make relaxing videos that capture the joy of watching ants.

If that sounds like your kind of thing... follow me >here<. 

#43 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 28 2021 - 2:50 AM

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I have this sp. too and they are so... nervous. I just put them in a natural set up since they seemed so stressed by being in a visible nest. I will make a thread about them at some point.

The strange thing is the skittishness is something they developed *as they got larger*... they used to be calm and I was able to film all sorts of intimate moments... workers eclosing, the queen laying... but then if I got close with the camera they'd panic... IDK why they changed.

That’s just their nature basically. Yours will do great in a natural setup. Mine are also in a dirt nest.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#44 Offline tdlnx - Posted August 18 2021 - 6:01 PM

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This colony is doing so well, which makes me very happy since they were my very first colony and started with a queen and just a few tiny workers. It’s hard to get an accurate count but my guess is anywhere from 40-50 now.

They are still taking eggs into the outworld until they are larger, then they will bring them inside the nest to finish growing and ultimately hatch. I’m not sure why they do this but they have developed what seems like a very efficient system. I love watching this colony they are active around the clock and there is always something new to see.

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#45 Offline m99 - Posted August 18 2021 - 7:14 PM

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Such a pretty little family! Have they calmed down at all, or have you just learned all the tricks to be able to observe them without them knowing?


Edited by m99, August 18 2021 - 7:14 PM.

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#46 Offline ANTdrew - Posted August 19 2021 - 2:07 AM

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Amazing!
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#47 Offline tdlnx - Posted August 19 2021 - 6:45 AM

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Such a pretty little family! Have they calmed down at all, or have you just learned all the tricks to be able to observe them without them knowing?


They are very skittish if I remove the red cover too quickly or if I bump the desk. I’ve had to get good at slow steady movements 😂
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#48 Offline tdlnx - Posted March 5 2022 - 2:37 PM

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Sorry for the long hiatus while my ants were in the fridge. I took this colony out today and they seem to be just as healthy as ever.

Very few of the workers were lost during diapause and the queen has already been back to work egg laying since waking them this morning. I’m super excited to see how this colony grows and progresses theough their second year.

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#49 Offline ANTdrew - Posted March 5 2022 - 3:16 PM

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That’s great! I was wondering about this colony.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#50 Offline United-Ants - Posted March 5 2022 - 4:00 PM

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Wow very beautiful ants I love formica subsericea
Wow very beautiful ants I love formica subsericea

#51 Offline tdlnx - Posted March 30 2022 - 1:29 PM

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Update

We’ve got a whole mess of eggs, larva, and pupae these ladies are keeping themselves busy. I recently upgraded from a heat lamp to a heating cable so I could run it past multiple formicariums, but I almost immediately started getting condensation on the glass (you can see it clearly in the second picture). It has started to dry up a bit but I’m worried about it causing mold. I never had that problem with the lamp, so I may go back to that for the time being.

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#52 Offline ANTdrew - Posted March 30 2022 - 3:40 PM

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Heat lamps are better than cables in that regard. My Formica seem to have died out.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#53 Offline tdlnx - Posted March 31 2022 - 3:03 AM

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Heat lamps are better than cables in that regard. My Formica seem to have died out.


Oh no that’s unfortunate..

#54 Offline tdlnx - Posted May 7 2022 - 8:09 PM

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Some new workers have hatched and there is a pretty consistent brood pile. I’m also considering moving back to a heat lamp from this heating cable, they don’t seem to like the cable as much and it’s causing more condensation than I really like.

I also got a few good shots of them during a fruit fly hunt.

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#55 Offline tdlnx - Posted May 10 2022 - 5:52 PM

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I got a cheap macro lens to clip on my phone and took some pictures. Considering the lens was less than $10 and my phone is several years old I think they turned out pretty good!

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#56 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 10 2022 - 6:00 PM

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Superb! Can you link the lens you got?
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#57 Offline tdlnx - Posted May 10 2022 - 6:03 PM

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Sure thing! I bought it from Amazon.

 

https://www.amazon.c...ct_details&th=1


#58 Offline tdlnx - Posted April 22 2023 - 9:30 PM

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Sorry for the year long hiatus. I unfortunately lost all of my ant colonies this past winter and will need to start over. These were wonderful colonies and I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to keep them successfully, but I have learned a lot and will be better prepared in the future.

#59 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 23 2023 - 2:29 AM

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What happened!?
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#60 Offline United-Ants - Posted April 23 2023 - 6:58 AM

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I am sorry for your loss
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