82 replies to this topic

[Ernteameise]

So I had ordered a tiny wooden nest from Foranto a few weeks ago when they had a sale.

I just love the looks of their wooden nests and some of them are truly works of art.

 

This wooden nest has arrived!

And it is beautiful. And very well made.

I hope when the Temnothorax colony grows, they make this at least one of their secondary homes.

 

 

I also got a red cover for it- it is magnetized and fits perfectly

 

 

 

I thought for making the space a bit smaller and cozy, I add some DRY vermiculite. Vermiculite is very light so the ants should have little problems shifting it about.

 

 

I connected it to the outworld right away, because this will give them some more opportunity to explore- after all, they are very inquisitive.

I used blue-tac to close the gaps- I am also using blue-tac for the connectors with my Messor colony, and so far, no issues (even if Messors are known to chew through anything). I reckon if the Messors leave it alone, the Temnothorax will not bother it, either.

 

 

 

Also, fruitflies again proved to be very popular with the Walnut Empire!

 

[Ernteameise]

These girls are amazing- they did exactly as what was described (and filmed) in the BBC Ant documentary.

First one scout went into the new wood nest to check it out, then she recruited a second and now there is three giving the new flat an inspection.

All done slow, methodical and thoroughly.

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=8n0SkIGARuo

Edited by Ernteameise, April 23 2023 - 11:57 AM.

[ANTdrew]

That’s awesome! I should give these a try this year. I find about 100 queens a night in June using my blacklight trap here.

[ANTS_KL]

That’s awesome! I should give these a try this year. I find about 100 queens a night in June using my blacklight trap here.

My Oecophylla queen collection rate during the rainy season in a place that I forgot the name of:

[Ernteameise]

While the girls have thoroughly examined and counter-examined the new nest, they have not moved in;

but I had not actually believed they would- the colony is just too small and they just stay in their crack in the decorative bark of their outworld.

[Ernteameise]

And I have escapees!

I just rescued 3 scouts wandering aimlessly around the outside of the outworld.

I quickly collected them gently with a brush.

I immediately renewed the paraffin layer around the top of the enclosure.

No idea where they came out.

I will have to keep an eye out and potentially switch to fluon if I cannot get it under control....

Luckily, I read up on these ants and know from scientific literature, that they only disperse from the nest for a maximum of a couple of metres.

So there is no danger of them taking over the living room.

But I would be very unhappy for them to get out and then die of hunger and thirst and me finding the dead sad bodies a few weeks later.

 

EDIT: So I just watched a VERY brazen tandem walk of one of the outside girls leading another outside the walls of the enclosure.

Guess where they were going?

They were actually headed for UNDER the outworld.

I lifted the enclosure up, and sure enough, 3 (!!) other girls were already sitting there.

The audacity!

I bought them a fancy new nest and they decide to move out and live UNDER the enclosure?

 

This is basically the equivalent of buying a fancy new cat scratch tower with hammock and hiding spot and the cat is not interested and decides to prefer the cardboard boxes you are about to throw away.

 

Honestly. How could I NOT love these girls? This kind of entertainment beats any TV show any day.

Edited by Ernteameise, April 24 2023 - 1:11 PM.

[Ernteameise]

So far, no more escapees, but seeing how crafty these girls are, it is just a matter of time.

I am also quite sure I know now from where they escaped- through a gap between tube connection to the new wood nest and the blue tac.

I have now added an additional layer of duct tape to make the gap smaller, we will see how long it lasts for them to find a work around.

 

Right now however they are distracted.

I got some liver pate for dinner tonight and did share it with my girls.

And they are ecstatic.

 

[ANTdrew]

You need to seal gaps like that with 100% silicone. You can even use silicone while ants are in the nest. It does not harm them in any way.

[Ernteameise]

You need to seal gaps like that with 100% silicone. You can even use silicone while ants are in the nest. It does not harm them in any way.

Good suggestion.
Will be especially important when the colony grows.
There is a hardware store next to my workplace, hope I will remember to pick some up in the coming days.

[Ernteameise]

So far, no more escapees.

I went to the hardware store today, and bought some silicone, but will for now try if it is under control with blue-tac.

Otherwise, the silicone is at hand.

[Ernteameise]

Finally the weekend and some time to watch the girls a bit more closely.

Today, my ants got a nice breakfast of some small bit of apple, a few chia seed and boiled chicken.

The acorn ants as usual checked it out and were enthusiastic about it and came out in force.

 

 

 

But I have to say that the turn-out was not as big as when I offered liver pate!

 

Also- still no more escapees. I think I got this under control for now.

[ANTdrew]

Try breaking chicken bones in half and giving them the marrow. They’ll love that.

[Ernteameise]

Try breaking chicken bones in half and giving them the marrow. They’ll love that.

Great suggestion!

I will roast the chicken for dinner tonight, I will make sure some split bones will find their way inside the outworld.

Would love to watch a total run for them.

[Ernteameise]

It is official-

I can attest that the marrow of chicken bones is a success.

The girls would like to thank ANTdrew for the recommendation!

 

[Ernteameise]

The girls still have not moved into neither the walnuts nor the Foranto nest.

I have read that acorn ants have slow colony growth, so I think it might take a long time until it happens.

 

They are always enjoying their food

 

 

And they are just so inquisitive. Constantly, workers are walking around the enclosure and checking things out.

They are also testing the paraffin escape barrier (and I am happy to say that it holds and the ants will not cross it).

This is the complete opposite to my Messor barbarus colony- the Messors do not climb up the glass walls at all.

 

 

 

[AntsCali098]

Just a picture to show that they are indeed most active right now, in the evening:
 

 
Also, I have seen some workers picking other workers up and carry them around, sometimes quite rough and forceful.
The other ant is still alive, this is not a transport of dead bodies.
I assume this is recruitment?
I have seen recruitment before, and I know that Formicines have a different way of carrying their sisters than Myrmecines do. But somehow, these Temnothorax do it both ways?
And they are not gentle with it at all.
I am confused.
 

I would like to know why they do this. I've seen some carry around drones like this but not other workers. I assume it is the older workers carrying around the younger ones, almost like the older ones have higher authority, interesting, isn't it? It's pretty incredible how similar ants are to humans sometimes.

[Ernteameise]

Just a picture to show that they are indeed most active right now, in the evening:


Also, I have seen some workers picking other workers up and carry them around, sometimes quite rough and forceful.
The other ant is still alive, this is not a transport of dead bodies.
I assume this is recruitment?
I have seen recruitment before, and I know that Formicines have a different way of carrying their sisters than Myrmecines do. But somehow, these Temnothorax do it both ways?
And they are not gentle with it at all.
I am confused.

I would like to know why they do this. I've seen some carry around drones like this but not other workers. I assume it is the older workers carrying around the younger ones, almost like the older ones have higher authority, interesting, isn't it? It's pretty incredible how similar ants are to humans sometimes.

Well, since ants were here first- interesting that humans developed similar social behaviors to some ant species

Edited by Ernteameise, May 8 2023 - 9:39 AM.

[Ernteameise]

The girls continue to be a joy.

They are out in force, exploring and have by now checked out the walnuts and the wooden nest in close detail (so they are aware they exist). But they still have not moved in yet.

I also like to watch them enjoying their food.

 

[Ernteameise]

It is weekend.

I like to take some time to provide to my animals and spoil them, so I prepared a feast for all my ants.

I cooked some chicken liver, since some members on this forum swear by it.

 

 

I have to report, while all the other ants did not show any immediate interest, this was the reaction of the Acorn Ants.

This is what priorities looks like.

These guys are scavengers in nature, and are even known to eat BIRD POO in their desperation.

So these girls were not going to say "no" to some chicken liver.

 

Edited by Ernteameise, May 20 2023 - 2:51 AM.

[Ernteameise]

And this is 30 mins later.

I would say this counts as success.