14 replies to this topic

[Darthvader]

Hey all, since the downfall of my Atta journal, I've decided to start posting about another little colony I'm excited about. Crematogaster cerasi! I've been waiting to keep these girls for a long time now, and when finally caught two queens in september of last year, I was hyped to watch them grow. I have two queens, but one is sort of dying out. I will attempt to keep her going until I have brood to spare from my much healthier colony. 

 

 

This colony has 4 workers, and around 10 more to come. They are doing extremely well, and I can't wait to enjoy all of their little quirks.

 

Here's what they looked like 5 days ago, with only one callow worker.



 

Edited by Darthvader, March 8 2024 - 11:56 AM.

[cutchins]

What are you feeding them? Is that a smashed up roach/cricket? I have two Crematogaster queens with brood as well. So, i'm very interested in watching and learning from yours. 

[ANTdrew]

Very nice. Where did you find the queens?

[Darthvader]

What are you feeding them? Is that a smashed up roach/cricket? I have two Crematogaster queens with brood as well. So, i'm very interested in watching and learning from yours. 

Yes! it's a section of a red runner roach. Crematogaster are quite opportunistic when it comes to food if I remember correctly

[Darthvader]

Very nice. Where did you find the queens?

On a bike trail near my house that I frequent. Lots of cerasi that nest in under rocks and in logs along the trail, especially bicolored ones. I hope my queens produce nice pretty bicolored workers

[futurebird]

I love that photo of the queen with the callow. She so much larger than her nanitic!

[Artisan_Ants]

Beautiful queen and callow. I have two C. cerasi queens myself but have to take them out of hibernation (which I will do fairly soon). Good luck! Can’t wait to see them grow!

[Darthvader]

The crematogaster have kept up an average of one worker per day, reaching 9 workers as of tonight. Despite being so young, there is already a constant presence of 3-4 workers that pull on the cotton, so once they're at about 15 workers or so, they'll be given a foraging area to explore to their heart's content. I'll try and get some actual macro photos later on. It's going to be a fun experience once they reach hundreds, and eventually, thousands of workers.


 

[ANTdrew]

In my experience, it’s best to give these ants access to a foraging area sooner rather than later. I give mine outworlds when they have 4-5 workers.

[Darthvader]

In my experience, it’s best to give these ants access to a foraging area sooner rather than later. I give mine outworlds when they have 4-5 workers.

 
I see. That might be the wisest option, I'll get to work finding something suitable!

[Darthvader]

Hey all! Not much has happened, except they now have 15+ workers, and are doing well. They are the best eaters of any ants I have right now, can't wait to see what they'll do to full roaches when they're hundreds of workers strong!

 

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

It looks.like the cotton is starting to mold.

[ANTdrew]

It looks.like the cotton is starting to mold.

That’s nothing to be concerned about yet.

[Darthvader]

Hey all! I moved the girls into a DIY minihearth sized nest last night. They had, as was inevitable, started to become impossible to feed in the tube without escapees, so I went with an all-in-one DIY nest as it would be the easiest to do maintenance on. It should be able to hold them until a few hundred, maybe even a thousand workers, but we will see. They are at about 20 workers now, it's getting harder and harder to tell each day now. I love how they are almost always active, and doing something, even at such a low worker count!

 

 

[cutchins]

Give us a zoomed out view of the nest, dude