69 replies to this topic

[Lillyrose]

So today I was using a hatchet to hack at some wood ... kinda hoping to find an imp queen hiding after having flown last week. I didn't really think I'd find anything but it's been good practice trying to id the ants in my yard and learning about their shapes and such.

Well, a piece of wood came up and smacked me in the head. Annoyed I grabbed it and noticed a large ant on the wood. I checked the other bits but she was the only one.

She wasn't moving and when I poked her she kinda shuddered a little. So she wasn't dead but man, she wasn't moving.

I took a couple pictures and pushed her into my vial to try and see if I could guess what she was.

She had the kinda heart shaped butt ... like the Crematogaster but .. but something was different. What is wrong with her? She's a little too big and her thorax was .. too big?

I put it on discord and was about to release her when they said congrats! It's a queen.

Omg

But ... they haven't flown yet .. how could it be a new queen?

They apparently don't lay until after they hibernate.

What are the chances I found a new queen and got to skip the whole sleeping for the winter stage. I get to go directly to laying!

I'm so excited I've nearly peed myself.

I put her into a tube, added the smallest drop of that sunburst feed stuff ... I don't want her to drown. Not sure if she needs it anyway... but winter is hard work.

I put her on some foam to keep her from rolling... wrapped her tube in paper to keep it dark, and put her on a shelf.

I need to go read up on what to do now cause I seem to have forgotten everything.

The box I used to try and keep the other Crematogasters has something wrong with it. They were able to get out. So I have to figure out why before she has enough to need an outworld. Maybe Fluon doesn't work? Maybe it was dusty?

I'm so excited.. you all have no idea. I think I'll name her *Mira*

[Lillyrose]

[ANTdrew]

Congrats! She should lay eggs very soon once you start heating her. Read my journal on these, and you can learn from all my mistakes. They are easy to found if you keep them very warm and undisturbed.

[Lillyrose]

Congrats! She should lay eggs very soon once you start heating her. Read my journal on these, and you can learn from all my mistakes. They are easy to found if you keep them very warm and undisturbed.

I will!

One question ... they jumped my barrier of Fluon once already ( a colony I observed then released) .. apparently they can use glue and corners? Did you have any luck making it escape proof?

[ANTdrew]

For fluon to be effective with these, you need a very dry and well ventilated outworld. Dry fluon on an upside down lid or rim will stop them. You will need to renew the fluon frequently as well. Also, give them lots of room to roam to keep crowding down. Escape proofing is a challenge with them, but it can be done.

[Lillyrose]

Thanks... I have to be on top of it because if they get out I'm 99% sure my husband is going to make me get rid of them. He's very anxious about the ones I have already.

Ants are his thing ... they're just pests to him and murder is an acceptable way to handle them. To be fair.. I agree when they ate my ENTIRE ANGEL FOOD CAKE! The whole thing .. from inside one of those dome things ... that was our favorite ordourous ants lol ...

[Lillyrose]

After reading through Antdrews journal I'm not sure this is the kinda ants I want. Seems like the little escape artists from hell.

I'm going to go through with it, but I might sell or trade when they get big enough to be so problematic.

Still trying to figure out my dream colony. Lol

Edited by Lillyrose, March 23 2021 - 3:09 PM.

[8NIN8]

Thanks... I have to be on top of it because if they get out I'm 99% sure my husband is going to make me get rid of them. He's very anxious about the ones I have already.

Ants are his thing ... they're just pests to him and murder is an acceptable way to handle them. To be fair.. I agree when they ate my ENTIRE ANGEL FOOD CAKE! The whole thing .. from inside one of those dome things ... that was our favorite ordourous ants lol ...

LOL my husband is the same way after ants invaded our kitchen and ate the cornbread I made for him!

[Lillyrose]

Tried to use a heating cable but just annoyed Mira .. she's chomping at the cotton.

I moved her to another room and covered her. I'll worry about warming her up after a while. I don't wanna stress her and gosh she seems stressed. I swear she's gonna eat the entire cotton ball to get out.

[ANTdrew]

Heat her indirectly by putting her tube in a plastic box, like the BoxBox containers, and putting one end of the box over a loop of heat cable to create a mini-greenhouse. An ordinary tupperware container would work just as well in a pinch.

[Lillyrose]

Heat her indirectly by putting her tube in a plastic box, like the BoxBox containers, and putting one end of the box over a loop of heat cable to create a mini-greenhouse. An ordinary tupperware container would work just as well in a pinch.

Do you still leave the cotton cover on? So she's locked in? Or let her wander at will?

[ANTdrew]

Keep the end plugged tightly with dry cotton.

[antsandmore]

Congrats! She should lay eggs very soon once you start heating her. Read my journal on these, and you can learn from all my mistakes. They are easy to found if you keep them very warm and undisturbed.

I would say read my journal, but i'll just say my mistakes/experience here. these need a byformica liquid feeder, because without it they can get stuck in honeywater or sugarwater pretty easily. also don't feed them live food until they get a good amount of workers as they can get stressed out. although I am saying this,at the same time they grow very fast, are fun to watch, and get better at hunting(at least when I feed them partially alive termites) have fun!

[Lillyrose]

Congrats! She should lay eggs very soon once you start heating her. Read my journal on these, and you can learn from all my mistakes. They are easy to found if you keep them very warm and undisturbed.

I would say read my journal, but i'll just say my mistakes/experience here. these need a byformica liquid feeder, because without it they can get stuck in honeywater or sugarwater pretty easily. also don't feed them live food until they get a good amount of workers as they can get stressed out. although I am saying this,at the same time they grow very fast, are fun to watch, and get better at hunting(at least when I feed them partially alive termites) have fun!

I do have the feeders which is good! And I'll read yours . I finished antdrews and am watching for updates .. so I'll be happy to read yours .. just gotta go find it.. :-)

Thanks!

[Lillyrose]

Ok.. I'm getting ready to do this .. but will it cause condensation in the tube?

[ANTdrew]

Condensation will happen if the moist air in the tube is significantly warmer than the surrounding air. If you heat the entire box, you will avoid the discrepancy between the temperatures inside and outside the tube.

[Lillyrose]

Condensation will happen if the moist air in the tube is significantly warmer than the surrounding air. If you heat the entire box, you will avoid the discrepancy between the temperatures inside and outside the tube.

Thanks :-)

I was worried especially since I don't like leaving the heating cable on at night .. I don't want to mess her up.

You've been so amazingly helpful .. thank you

[Lillyrose]

I wanna check.. I wanna check .. I wanna check.

I moved her down from the closet shelf to the ant shelf with the pavement ants.

The other two colonies are moving out and haven't been brought back upstairs.

I ended up not heating them in the closet, fear of fire, and have them set up together to warm up now.

I got this little two watt heating pad (acrylic boxes, afraid to melt them) and I have it between the two of them. I kinda think I should have went with the 4 watt but what do I know?

Anyway, the Temps in the box is creeping up so queens should start getting busy.

They have until Tuesday or Wednesday till I'm working in there so lots of quiet time to grow.

I wonder how Mira is doing in there. I want to check lol

[ANTdrew]

This species is not very sensitive about being checked.

[Lillyrose]

This species is not very sensitive about being checked.

This species is not very sensitive about being checked.

That was all the motivation I needed to go check her... but ... she grabbed her eggs... don't eat them!!!

Edited by Lillyrose, March 31 2021 - 5:31 AM.