245 replies to this topic

[Here for the honeypots]

Very cool thank you.  I like these journals the most cause, y'know, here for the honeypots and all

[Alexant]

I must agree.

[dspdrew]

Update 2-23-2016
 
These colonies are still doing really well, so well that they desperately need some larger nests. Two of them have over 80 workers now, and the rest have around 60.
 
The colony wit  the workers and queen that were introduced to each other is doing great. That queen went for a long time with only one worker and not laying any eggs while I had it living in a test tube, but after I moved her to the "dirt box" and gave her a bunch of workers, she laid a big pile of eggs.
 

 
 
Filling up on dyed blue byFormica SUNBURST Ant Nectar. You can see the leftover hummingbird nectar in their gasters.
 

 

 

 
 
It's funny how they like to store eggs on the gasters of some of the repletes. I have quite a few colonies that have done this.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
This is the colony that was introduced to each other. Notice the nice new pile of eggs.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[yen_saw]

So cool!!!

[dspdrew]

Update 2-25-2016
 
I finished another one of my big glass vase dirt setups, and I decided to move one of these colonies into it.
 

 

 
 
I chose the colony with the most workers and least repletes, since the big repletes will probably not be able to move without being damaged. I set their small "dirt box" in the out world and pulled the plug.
 

 

 
 
I checked them this morning, and saw they had filled the hole with gravel.    It's probably going to be a long time before they decide to dig a nest and move out of the "dirt box". I going to do what I can to dry it out as fast as possible.

[honourable]

or flood them out 

[dspdrew]

Yeah I could do that, but it would require them all to climb over the top. That won't be easy for the queen and repletes.

[Here for the honeypots]

Can the repletes even move?? How does that work?

[dspdrew]

I really don't know. I'm pretty sure really large ones can't transport themselves.

[honourable]

i seen smaller one move from places to places to get comfortable. the really fat one doesn't seem to budge once they reach a certain size. so apparently the printout drew made in the dirt box doesn't really have all the room needed by the replete. they are practically getting squashed by the side and the black printout. they need 1-2 cm more =[  or maybe my replete should go on a diet

[dspdrew]

1-2 cm more?

[Here for the honeypots]

Interesting.  Maybe make the entrance out of a material similar to that of one of those gatorade sports bottles where the water only comes out if you squeeze.  But you keep a gap through it of the same size you already have it yet it mocks that sport bottle mouth thing for an extra two centimeters to fit the repletes through.  I'm not sure where I spat that crazy idea from, and it seems like way too much work, so it's just food for thought I suppose

[dspdrew]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

[klawfran3]

perhaps the colony will drain the repletes when they have to move? I'd dig a starter tunnel to encourage them to begin to move.

[dspdrew]

I don't think repletes shrink back down.

[dspdrew]

[LC3]

What if you made a formicarium that was like a tall flat rectangle (like a picture frame) and had each floor removable.So when you need to move them just take the roof off  

Might as well also add a bunch of "doors" where you can control which to open or not. so you can add section ontop and on the sides.

 

(More ideas you won't understand )

[Ants4fun]

Like an omni nest verticle?

[dspdrew]

Sounds like you wouldn't be able to see anything.

[dspdrew]

Update 3-10-2016
 
I've been keeping a ceramic infrared heat lamp on these guys 24/7 to dry the nest out as quickly as possible. About once a day I was disturbing their nest too, in hopes that they decide it's no longer safe, and start digging a new nest. Finally last night, they started digging their nest, and right where I wanted them to as well. I started a hole there a while back, but they just kept filling it with rocks every time I dug it out.