24 replies to this topic

[kellakk]

2-1-2015

 

I got two colonies from Drew with a couple workers each.  Neither colony had eggs.  I placed them on top of one of my roach cages where it was dark and warm.

Edited by kellakk, June 10 2015 - 10:05 PM.

[kellakk]

2-5-2015

 

I checked back today and they've laid eggs! The workers quickly picked the eggs up, of course so the photos I have are a little blurry.

 

This is one colony.

 

This is another.

Edited by kellakk, June 10 2015 - 10:05 PM.

[Chromerust]

I wish we could understand the internal calendar ants have. Everyone's Pogonomyrmex are laying eggs this week including mine. I just wonder how they know when....

[Gregory2455]

Mine have too!!!

[Vendayn]

Well, can't say I have any Pogonomyrmex currently.

 

But, all the ones here outside, haven't woken up yet. But, it seems ant season is coming up quick.

 

Pogonomyrmex rugosus is sure an awesome looking species, though. Good luck on your colony.

[dspdrew]

Well what do you know, one of my small colonies laid an egg too.

[kellakk]

2-25-15

 

One of the colonies has 4 larvae now and ~7 more eggs.  

 

[Gregory2455]

They are doing better than mine... Well actually mine have a bunch of eggs so yours are only ahead!

[kellakk]

Mine also have heat.  That may be why I'm ahead

[Foogoo]

Mine also have heat.  That may be why I'm ahead

 

What have you been feeding them?

[kellakk]

Nothing besides the dried up piece of whatever food drew left in the test tube. It looks like byFromica Formula something.

[Foogoo]

Nothing besides the dried up piece of whatever food drew left in the test tube. It looks like byFromica Formula something.

 

Nothing else for almost a month? I feel like the more I baby my colonies the less they're inclined to develop...

[kellakk]

3-21-15

 

They keep eating the eggs and then laying more. One of the colonies still has 3 larvae, the other only has eggs.  Ants seem to be very good at getting in the way of pictures.

 

Edited by kellakk, March 21 2015 - 9:29 AM.

[Chromerust]

Have you tried feeding them everyday? I fed my Pogonomyrmex nearly everyday since the first workers arrived and grew pretty fast. It sounds like they are eating eggs because they need food. They weren't egg eaters before. Give my ant food recipe a try.

[dspdrew]

This happens to mine a lot too.

[kellakk]

4-6-15

 

Both colonies now have only one worker (they started with two).  One of them finally has a pupa! It also has 2 large larvae and a few eggs.  The other hasn't done very well, the queen kept eating her eggs.  I decided to just give her some dirt and made a little dirt founding chamber similar to Drew's.  The queen and her worker took a few days under a warm, bright lamp before they dug, but finally started to dig where I had poked a little starter hole for them.

 

[dspdrew]

Nice. Are the tubes to keep them from digging in the middle?

[kellakk]

Yup.  They were the only smooth objects I had on hand that would fit into the container.  I'm planning on replacing them with something I can use to hydrate the dirt, do you have any suggestions?

[dspdrew]

A smaller square container. That's what I use in mine.

[kellakk]

4-22-15

 

The queen and worker in the dirt setup died.  The other colony lost its worker and now only has a single well-fed larva.