15 replies to this topic

[Alza]

I caught about 53 of these queens, and put them in test tubes containing 2-5.

They now all have larvae, and some have already begun betraying the other queens.

[BugFinder]

53 queens!  Wow what a jackpot!!  Where did you find them?

[Alza]

In the chatsworth area, they are in plague proportions there.

[BugFinder]

What do you think is the chance they will fly again soon? 

[PTAntFan]

Are you going to sell any?

[Alza]

There are still queens foraging out there, and I probably will sell some of them.

[PTAntFan]

I can't get out there before Sunday morning as I'm at comic-con.

[Alza]

Some will probably still be out.

[Alza]

All of my colonies except one now have four+ workers. I don't know what to do with that one colony, they have three queens.

[Gregory2455]

How are these doing?

[Vendayn]

If they are like mine, they are probably semi-hibernating. Mine are still slightly active, but all the colonies here in Irvine don't have any brood at all. Mine mostly stay at the bottom of the formicarium, but I have seen them (and the outside colonies) collecting food. Kind of weird, but maybe they are preparing for Spring lol.

 

Would be curious if other colonies are still active and laying eggs. Because I've been keeping mine a lot warmer than outside, and while they are sort of doing things and collecting stuff, they aren't laying eggs at all. I know out in the Salton Sea/Palm Springs, Pogonomyrmex californicus are active year round (even with new brood), but mine and the colonies here are semi-hibernating.

[Alza]

Mine havent really done anything, and they have no eggs, so no progress at all. Unless I forgot to mention the few workers some colonies got before.

[Foogoo]

Mine is the same. I decided to not put the heat lamp on them to let them go through a natural Socal winter.

[Subverted]

Would be curious if other colonies are still active and laying eggs. Because I've been keeping mine a lot warmer than outside, and while they are sort of doing things and collecting stuff, they aren't laying eggs at all. I know out in the Salton Sea/Palm Springs, Pogonomyrmex californicus are active year round (even with new brood), but mine and the colonies here are semi-hibernating.

 

My colony seems to still have brood and they did some major excavations since I posted that last photo of them... Maybe you are keeping them warm but not warm enough?

[Vendayn]

Hmm, that could

 

 

Would be curious if other colonies are still active and laying eggs. Because I've been keeping mine a lot warmer than outside, and while they are sort of doing things and collecting stuff, they aren't laying eggs at all. I know out in the Salton Sea/Palm Springs, Pogonomyrmex californicus are active year round (even with new brood), but mine and the colonies here are semi-hibernating.

 

My colony seems to still have brood and they did some major excavations since I posted that last photo of them... Maybe you are keeping them warm but not warm enough?

 

hmm, that is probably why. In the Spring/Summer, the garage is always 80+ degrees and now with it being colder it drops to 65-70 degrees at night. I don't really have a heat lamp on them, so that probably doesn't help much. It only adds 5 degrees to their setup.

 

In any case, not sure if I care too much actually. I don't actually mind as much as I thought I would that they are more in a hibernating mode. I used to always hate the idea of one of my ant colonies hibernating, but it isn't actually that bad at all. I still might try giving them more heat though, but I'll let them rest for a bit.

[Mdrogun]

Mine just have large larvae left over. I don't know for sure though as it is hard to see into the nest. About a month ago the queen laid a clutch of about 60 eggs