12 replies to this topic

[Ma_Yi]

Helo! I'm Ma Yi, and I'm a  neophyte in the ants keeping. Actually, I caught my first Ant Queen (Lasius niger) 2 weeks ago   

 

And yesterdey I saw, that my Queen layed her first eggs. I was so happy! And now I'm looking forward to the firsw workers! 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Ma_Yi]

04 of August

 

My ant queen (which I named Queen Lin'an   ) lay more and more eggs (may be it's because I give here a sugar syrop). 

Also today I saw that there is a one cocoon (I hope this). And it's strange, because I didn't see the larva 

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Edited by Ma_Yi, August 4 2023 - 9:39 AM.

[Ma_Yi]

Hello everyone!

 

Lasius niger

 

The queen made more than 10 cocoons. But there are still no workers.   The development time from eggs to worker is near 30 days, so the first worker would be in the beginning of September. 

I tried to give her a small mealybug larva, but she ignored it. This queen drinks sugar syrup. Only.

Also I have a problem that there is not enough water in her test tube now!   I poured 10 ml when I made the nest, but it’s too hot now and water is running out too fast.   To sort out this problem I bought a special gypsum nest with the possibility of moisturizing. Tomorrow it will arrive, and I will test this nest.

 

Camponotus cruentatus

 

Few days ago I bought the queen of Camponotus cruentatus with 4 cocoons, one larva and a pack of eggs. She is really large!   

 

It’s a type of ants who live in the south part of Spain and like high temperature 21-28 °C. Now the temperature in the room is 27-28, so it’s comfortable for the queen, but soon I need to buy a heating mat, because the temperature in the beginning of the autumn will be lower than Camponotus cruentatus prefer.

Also I read interesting information from the people who have Camponotus cruentatus: after hibernation at 9-11°C they develop better than after hibernation at 15-18°C (as the most of resources are recommended)  . Some of the resources said the Camponotus cruentatus don’t need hibernation, but it’s not correct.

[Ma_Yi]

Hi, everyone!

I haven't kept my diary for a long time, but there are a lot of things happened with my ants.

 

Lasius niger colony

• There are first new workers in this colony. They are so small compared to the Queen!
• Lasius don’t want to eat the larva I gave them but they have a lot of ant’s larva.
• Syrup is a “holly” liquid for them. They prefer to drink it every day!
• Lasius niger ants still don’t migrate to their new test tube with water, despite that there is no water in the old one! I can’t understand what they are waiting.
• Yesterday I saw how ants unpacked the new one from the cocoon! They were unpacking during 30-40 minutes. And the newborn ant of Lasius niger was grey at first time!

 

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[Ma_Yi]

Camponotus cruentatus

 

My Camponotus are living good too. The colony have 4 new workers and the new packs of eggs. The workers of Camponotus cruentatus are really big and have a beautiful matte black color.

 

As the test tube is very small for them, I bought the acrylic incubator for them, and I hope they will move in they new house soon.

 

Tetramorium caespitum and Myrmica rubra

 

Aso one guy give me a present of a small colonies of Tetramonium caespitum and Myrmika rubra. My first impression about Tetramonium caespitum: they are realy wery small (I thought they were bigger!) but this type of Tetramonium are really aggressive. They need a few minute to kill the larva of flour beetle. It's very interesting to observe for  their hunting. But there is one minus: when you open the test tube to give them any food or syrup, Tetramonium caespitum run to attack you. They are realy intrepid! Also this ants are very neatnik and cleanly. They are the most cleanly ants form all I have now. I like it because it's very easy to clean their test tube from the rubbish.

 

What about Myrmika rubra (European Fire Ants) , they are very active and aggressive ant too, but not such like Tetramonium caespitum. Ant not so cleany. The color of Myrmika rubra is bright brown, not red and they have a sting. What is interesting that the Qeen of Myrmika rubra have the size not bigger than worker's size. 

 

To be continued ... .

[Ma_Yi]

Helo everyone!

 

I threw this diary away for a long time and there ware a lot of changes in my ant's family.

 

The bigest trouble I had was that the hibernation was failed for most of the ant's families. The situation was weird for me. The hiberination was started at the middle of October for such species like Tetramonium caespitum, Lasius niger and Myrmika rubra   species (from 3°C till 5°C in refrigerator). And in the middle of Nowember for the Camponotus cruentatus  (12-15°C). It was weird for me, because until the begining of January ewerything was going well, but then the bigest part of Tetramonium caespitum and  Lasius niger families died. I stoped the hibernation for them. For now there are the first new workers in Tetramonium caespitum  family, and the Lasius niger family has new eggs and larvae. I hope everythig will be fine with them. 

 

What about the Myrmika rubra - the colony was died 

 

With the Camponotus cruentatus family there is the similar situation. Until the last week everything was good, but on the thext week the workers started to die. For now was dies 6 workers. I stoped the hibernation yesterday, gave the food (Periplaneta lateralis). Will see what happens!

[Ma_Yi]

What about hte good news, I have a good colony of Crematogaster scuterllaris. They have a good hiberination, and now they are starting to grow up:) 

 

 

What I see, that the C. scutellaris don't like a high humidity in their nest. They wery dislike it. For a long time they prefer to live in an 'outside world' not in the nest because the normal humidity was incomfortable for them. So, that's why now theit nest has a part with a gypsum (wet part) and without gypsum (more dry part). And also they very like the warm temperature (27-28°C).

 

P.S. As I was successful with this ants and I love their appearance and behavior, I bought a  Crematogaster auberti species. Waiting for a first workers!

[ANTdrew]

Crematogaster are truly the best ants to keep.

[Ma_Yi]

Crematogaster are truly the best ants to keep.

Agree with you!

[Ma_Yi]

Here is more Crematogaster 

 They made a great feed savings!

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[Ma_Yi]

Here is my colony of Temnothorax unifascitus. They are so beautifull ladies!

But you know, two weeks ago they kill their queen!!   And another keeper said that's is a usual behavior for this species 

It was one of the worse moment in my keeper life!

[Ma_Yi]

Also, a week ago, a bought a colony of Aphaenogaster gibbosa. There were near 20 workers, but, I think, the family stay a little bigger

[Ma_Yi]

About the Camponotus cruentatus: they DISLIKE to dring glukose (from ampulas).