103 replies to this topic

[Ernteameise]

These girls have now built up a defensive wall of sand at the front of the test tube to defend the colony.

 

[Ernteameise]

The ladies are pretty active and go foraging in the outworld.

But as soon as I open the top, they are extremely fast to run back inside the walled up nest.

Lots of new brood, too.

 

[Ernteameise]

My young Lasius colony is also still going strong.

We still have hot summer days, so no sign of them slowing down for autumn.

I am really happy how strong this queen seems to be- she right now has a HUGE gaster producing eggs.

 

[ANTdrew]

Nice caboose on that girl!

[Ernteameise]

Right.

I am back from my scuba diving trip in Italy, and I am happy to report that all my girls survived their abandonment.

 

The Lasius continue to grow.

They queen still looks as if she is about to burst with egg production.

New workers emerge all the time, and although they are shy and easily spooked, they still explore their small outworld and go out harvesting.

 

 

[Ernteameise]

Today-

the queen is still FAT.

 

[ANTdrew]

I believe thicc is what the kids would say. Lol

[100lols]

Haha yeah she’s bloated for sure! Wonder if she’ll lay any more eggs before winter…

[Ernteameise]

Haha yeah she’s bloated for sure! Wonder if she’ll lay any more eggs before winter…

If she doesn't, she is going to explode....

[Ernteameise]

Amazing how this has become a nicely growing and seemly healthy colony!

They should slow down for autumn soon, however. This species will do a real hibernation.

 

[100lols]

Looks like they’re in for a population explosion. Beautiful!

[Ernteameise]

The activity of the newly caught girls has declined and they are now going into their hibernation winter rest period.

 

Activity of the Lasius girls that live on the balcony in my herb garden has also become very low, and there are only individual ants to be seen (when the sun is up).

 

For the next 3-4 weeks, they will be in a box on my balcony (out of direct sunlight!) and when it is getting too cold (below 5-6 degrees centigrade at night), they will be transferred to an unheated store room in the attic.

Sadly, I do not have a cellar and I also do not have a big fridge for hibernation, so I will find out if this is going to work or not.

All ants have an ample supply of water and some sunburst nectar, if they feel the need for some sugar.

 

 

[Ernteameise]

Checked on the girls.

Still alive and well and getting into the whole diapause.

They have amble supply of water and sunburst nectar in their outworld.

They have just messed up their cotton in the tube, but from what I have seen in other threads, this might not be as threatening as it looks.

 

[Ernteameise]

Right.

I checked on the small founder colony last night.

OMG, the test tube looks dodgy and dirty and rotten.

But, the queen has a very swollen abdomen and the workers also move around.

Plus, the tiny cricket I offered them last night they have carried into the test tube.

So I assume they are okay?

I think they will be happy when I move them to a Mini-Hearth next week (I hope my TarHeel Ants delivery comes next week, and Mack send me an extra MiniHearth which will be perfect for this colony; the full story in my Messor barbarus journal).

 

[Ernteameise]

Right, I am very excited, because my parcel from TarHeel ants arrived today and my small Lasius niger founder colony could more to a new MiniHearth.

It was really necessary, their hibernation test tube was massively disgusting.

 

 

Yuck, even the water is discoloured!

 

 

The new Mini Hearths, including red covers:

 

 

 

I just dumped the colony in there, from their disgusting test tube:

 

 

It took them maybe 30 mins to move in, here is the very moment:

 

 

Right, I am curious how this colony will develop.

There is now a race on- depending on which of my founder colonies grows faster (the Lasius or the Camponotus), that colony will be rewarded with the that fancy decorated XXL Mini Hearth which I have sitting around. My bets are actually on the Lasius.

But we will see.

 

This is the price:

[Ernteameise]

Update 1 day after the move!

 

The fancy new ant shelf:

 

 

There are always foragers busy in the outworld.

Their first big meal of the season:

 

 

And here is the colony and their brood. Well, looking at that pile of brood, I think we are off to a good start.

 

[Ernteameise]

So, I have now fixed the heat cable to the mini hearths.

As usual, what I bought was total overkill. The heat cable I bought would be long enough to heat a swimming pool.

The end of the cable I am now also using to heat the Messor colony.

I also am not impressed with the look of the heat cable swinging around everywhere, but luckily, I life in a rooftop flat, and in summer it will become so hot, that no heating is necessary.

Until then, I will have to live with the ugly esthetics.

 

At least the girls have it cozy:

 

 

 

Since today is Easter, I also served my ants a nice Easter dinner (fruit jelly, crickets and some fish food jelly)

 

 

 

The Lasius foragers were immediately out in force:

 

 

The colony looks well, the queen has swollen up, and there is a bit of brood:

 

[Ernteameise]

The heat is really doing them a lot of good

 

[Ernteameise]

We just had the hottest couple of days ever recorded on this time in April in Germany (up to 30 degrees centigrade).

My ants love this heat.

My little Lasius niger colony now has a whole bunch of puppae.

 

 

And look at that pile of larvae:

 

 

They readily accepted the tiny cricket I gave them today, they started foraging just minutes after I put it in. These girls are doing very well.

 

Edited by Ernteameise, April 7 2024 - 4:53 AM.

[Ernteameise]

It has become a real feast!