69 replies to this topic

[antsriondel]

I have decided to conduct an experiment with my pudorosus! Well... Actually 2! One I will do no matter what and the other I want you guys to vote on if I should do it. The first experiment is since I have 2 colonies, I want to try breeding them together and if I get 3 colonies total before any get alates I will have 3 that can mate together. I'm wanting to attempt this experiment to see if Camponotus pudorosus can actually breed in captivity and to see if pudorosus are only Polygynous or can also be Oligynous where they found together but afterwards will present aggression towards each other when in close contact, but the workers will show no to aggression to either queen. A perfect example of this is CheetoLord02's video (Novomessor showcase: cockerelli and polygynous albisetosus! - YouTube) . The second experience that I need you guys to vote on with either "Yes" or "No" is to see whether we should proceed and see if the colonies can merge and/or tolerate each other when in close proximity. If this option is chosen with more than half saying "Yes" then I will have major precautions in this. One, I will attach both or all three nests at the same time so one doesn't get more scent than the other. Two, if there's a massive amount of aggression where one starts killing the other which by that I mean more than three workers killed I will remove the intruding workers and close off the entrances and end the experiment. I want to make sure any experiments taken that are potentially dangerous like the last one have precautions in place to be taken in case if anything goes poorly and I am not doing this for gladiator fights, I just want to study these ants since it appears I'm the only one on the forum currently that owns Camponotus pudorosus.

 

All votes will be counted on January 31 at 8:00PM.

I vote no. I think it is to much of a risk especially for Camponotus.

Edited by antsriondel, January 30 2022 - 5:28 PM.

[bmb1bee]

 

Well, I just found a second colony of festinatus in Payson! So now we will have 2 colonies! What should we name the queens? I will post pictures when I get home.

name the second queen you have: queen scarlet.

 

Traitor, I'm voting for Queen Tourmaline/Ruby   

(C. festinatus colors actually look more like Queen Scarlet ngl)

[antsriondel]

 

 

Well, I just found a second colony of festinatus in Payson! So now we will have 2 colonies! What should we name the queens? I will post pictures when I get home.

name the second queen you have: queen scarlet.

 

Traitor, I'm voting for Queen Tourmaline/Ruby   

(C. festinatus colors actually look more like Queen Scarlet ngl)

 

come on man, queen scarlet was awesome 

Edited by antsriondel, July 26 2022 - 4:23 PM.

[NicholasP]

How about since we have 2 we name one Queen Scarlet and the other queen Tourmaline?

[NicholasP]

Unless if there's another wings of fire suggestion lol

[bmb1bee]

How about since we have 2 we name one Queen Scarlet and the other queen Tourmaline?

LOL sounds good!

[antsriondel]

 

How about since we have 2 we name one Queen Scarlet and the other queen Tourmaline?

LOL sounds good!

 

Agreed! 

Edited by antsriondel, July 26 2022 - 4:23 PM.

[NicholasP]

Watch this become a Romeo Juliet Love story in the end when I try breeding the alates of both colonies... 

Edited by NicholasP, January 30 2022 - 7:43 PM.

[bmb1bee]

Lord Capulet Queen Scarlet does not approve of your plan... 

[NicholasP]

I don't read Wings of Fire so I don't understand these references  . 

[bmb1bee]

Lord Capulet was a Romeo and Juliet reference lol 

[Antkeeper01]

I miss my first Pogonomyrmex queen I named her Queen Scarlet

[antsriondel]

I miss my first Pogonomyrmex queen I named her Queen Scarlet

well that sucks, hope you catch more queens!!! you should check my personal journal out to see what I named my formica queen!!

Edited by antsriondel, July 26 2022 - 4:24 PM.

[Antkeeper01]

 

I miss my first Pogonomyrmex queen I named her Queen Scarlet

well that sucks, hope you catch more queens!!! you should check my personal journal out to see what I named my formica queen!!

 

ps:it is a wings of fire reference 

 

yeah I have a Pogonomyrmex colony right now I named her Queen Dazzling lol

[antsriondel]

 

 

I miss my first Pogonomyrmex queen I named her Queen Scarlet

well that sucks, hope you catch more queens!!! you should check my personal journal out to see what I named my formica queen!!

 

ps:it is a wings of fire reference 

 

yeah I have a Pogonomyrmex colony right now I named her Queen Dazzling lol

 

haha

[NicholasP]

Well. The results are in. Experiment number 2 will not be conducted. I do have news though. Queen Tourmaline was moved out of her balsa nest today due to a lack of workers to fill up the nest over 1/5 with workers. So, today I moved Queen Scarlet inside of Tourmaline's nest. Tourmaline was moved into a tubs and tubes setup for the time being until i can build a 3 by 3-inch nest. Queen Scarlet has a fair amount of larvae and some medium sized larvae that only need a little bit of food to be big enough to pupate. I do realize the biggest mistake that I've done with these though. I should be placing them inside of a bigger container because the lid to their current container has hinges and there's gaps in those hinges for the workers that climb past the fluon... Besides that though Queen Scarlet seems to be happy with the nest and she should easily fill up over 1/5 of the nest. I feel only a few more days and they should start taking protein. The goal for this year before a small period of hibernation at 60 degrees Fahrenheit is to get 500 workers. Let's see if we can get to those numbers this year and who will be the first to get alates!

[NicholasP]

So... I just got home to see dozens of ants escaped. First thing I did was scream "SCARLET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I knew it was Scarlet because Tourmaline was in a container setup instead of a box with hinges and so queens scarlet's worker got all over my bed any everything. In fact right as I'm typing there's a worker on the ceiling right now... I'll be right back... Ok. I got the worker back in after climbing onto my desk to reach it...  So as I was saying workers got all over the place... I expect to find several more. but for now I only found 20. Those darn hinges with a gap ontainers are so annoying. I don't even know how to workers got past the massive fluon barrier... If any of you guys know another way to get the fluon to work please... I beg you... let me know... Each comment on how to prevent more escapes = one saved NicholasP. 

[antsriondel]

So... I just got home to see dozens of ants escaped. First thing I did was scream "SCARLET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I knew it was Scarlet because Tourmaline was in a container setup instead of a box with hinges and so queens scarlet's worker got all over my bed any everything. In fact right as I'm typing there's a worker on the ceiling right now... I'll be right back... Ok. I got the worker back in after climbing onto my desk to reach it...  So as I was saying workers got all over the place... I expect to find several more. but for now I only found 20. Those darn hinges with a gap ontainers are so annoying. I don't even know how to workers got past the massive fluon barrier... If any of you guys know another way to get the fluon to work please... I beg you... let me know... Each comment on how to prevent more escapes = one saved NicholasP. 

that sucks that they escaped I think you might have to use a different barrier, for example vaseline works very well with large species. I hope that helps a bit. oh and I love how you knew it was scarlets colony!!

[bmb1bee]

Yeah, I think Vaseline works well for Camponotus in general, I hope Queen Scarlet didn't escape! Also, I've read that Fluon works best in a 1:16 or higher ratio with water, if that helps. 

[OiledOlives]

Vaseline is the worst barrier used by ant keepers. Do not use it.