21 replies to this topic

[IdioticMouse26]

My first ever ant journal! I'm very excited! Sadly, I don't have any records of the freshly caught queens, because I wasn't a member of this amazing website, so my queens are about 3 weeks into keeping. I have attempted to keep camponotus in the past, but failed, I was new to antkeeping that time(I didn't know what a test tube setup was and put the queen straight into an ant nest I bought from amazon). I really hope I can succeed this time.

 

So, to provide a bit of context, I caught my modoc literally at my doorstep, and the vicinus was later given to me by my friend stubyvast. I immediatly put them in a test tube setup, and they both laid eggs the very next day! Right now, they both have a healthy amount of larvae and eggs. Around 10-12 each. And the brood is developing rather quickly, whenever I check on them, they double in size! I decided to call the modoc Antoinette, and vicinus Vin(from the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. Any fans out there?) They both have different personalities, Antoinette is more shy and paranoid, as she panics at the slightest vibration, but Vin does not care! Unless I seriously disturb her, she keeps her cool. 

 

I'll upload every week or two, unless something interesting comes up. 

Here are some photos:

 

Antoinette(Modoc):

 

Vin(Vicinus):

 

 

 

Edit: just changed a typo on my title

Edit no.2: Nevermind, it's Vin who's shy, not Antoinette. Antoinette wouldn't want people getting the wrong impression

Edited by IdioticMouse26, September 3 2024 - 11:20 AM.

[IdioticMouse26]

Woohoo! Exciting news! One of Antoinette's larvae spun a cocoon! I'm so happy that there's already a cocoon! It's a little fast, I think. Usually Campontus taks 6-12 weeks from egg to adult, mine only took a month or so.

Anyway, Vin's also doing great, her larvae got much bigger and I exepect cocoons soon. I think she's taking longer not only because she started a little late, vicinus are slightly bigger than modocs.

 

Pictures: 

 

Antoinette:

(You can see the cocoon at lower right beside Antoinette's head)

 

 

Vin:

 

 

Will update once the worker emerges.

[IdioticMouse26]

Just a small update: Antoinette has four cocoons now! Exciting! I unfortunatly don't have any pictures because I only glanced her when I was feeding my myrmica rubra(I keep them on the same cabinet), and didn't want to disturbe her. 

Like I said above, I'll update once the first worker emerges.

[IdioticMouse26]

It's been a while since I updated this journal. 
Both my queens are doing great! The pupae is just taking a looooong time to develop. The good news is, there is TONS of coccons. I think each queen has at least 8-10.

 

Here are some pictures:

Vin:

Antoinette:

 

(I don't know why, but all my pictures are turning sideways whenever I post, does anyone have an idea why? Is it the way files are uploaded or the camera angle?)

 

Can't wait for first nanitics to arrive!!!

 

 

[IdioticMouse26]

I know I've checked on them only a few days ago, but I noticed a very dark cocoon and  I just had a hunch that a worker would enclose very soon. So I checked on Antoinette today and...VOILA!! First nanitic!!! 

And another good news is that I saw another very dark cocoon, which means another worker is soon enclosing! I'm so happy!! 

 

Antoinette looks exhausted. Don't worry Antoinette! Soon, you will live life of luxury!!

 

For anyone who's wonder about Vin, she's doing great, I expect a worker from her within a week.

[Stubyvast]

Nice!! This is awesome!

[AsdinAnts]

she’s so tiny compared to Antoinette lol

[IdioticMouse26]

she’s so tiny compared to Antoinette lol

I know right?   It's crazy how much bigger they get once proper nuturition is given.

[IdioticMouse26]

First feeding today! Since the last time I saw them, there are few more newly enclosed workers! I'm amazed that Antoinette and Vin managed to raise so many workers this early! I thought camponotus would usually only have 3-5 nanitics, max. 

 

Anyway, I gave them some honey water and they loved it! I saw the workers tugging at the cotton, so I knew they were hungry. I also gave Antoinette's colony a (mostly dead) fruit fly I caught. 

 

Anotinette & her nanitics eagerly slurping up honey water. I count five nanitics with three more cocoons:

 

Vin & her three nanitics. I count five more cocoons:

 

I think the queens each have eight workers in total (if you count the cocoons).

 

Can't wait for the day when they number in hundreds! Also can't wait for the first major to emerge!

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

if you want majors you should power feed protein. C.sp queens can have different number of workers in the first gen. lowest I had was 1 worker. Highest I had was 11. They  should reaching hundreds by year 3+ maybe 2 if you power feed.

Edited by GOCAMPONOTUS, July 3 2024 - 5:15 PM.

[Stubyvast]

Yah I've heard of quite successful colonies that produce majors in early year 2, but I assume this is due to power feeding. Go Vin and Antoinette!! Great job IdioticMouse!

[IdioticMouse26]

Hello everyone! I have some important announcement I would like to make regarding this journal.

Me and my family is going to my homecountry, Korea, for a month next wensday. Which means in that time, I would not be able to update this journal. I'm making this announcement today because my good friend StubyVast has agreed to take care of my ants(and tarantula) while I'm away, and I'm handing them over tomorrow. I know they'll be in good hands. 

I will be making a blog about my ant findings in Korea, so stay tuned! I heard there are over 130 ant species in Korea (I'm hoping I could encounter some Strumigenys!). 

 

Thank you all for reading journal so far! I really appreciate it.

Edited by IdioticMouse26, July 6 2024 - 8:17 AM.

[IdioticMouse26]

Hello everyone! I'm back from Korea!! And boy am I excited to resume this journal! I had tons of fun at Korea and encountered many new species of insects! I got my ants back from my friend StubyVast the day after I arrived from Korea, and he's been taking very good care of them. He also gave two C.vicinus and a C.modoc because he couldn't keep them anymore. I accepted them, but I'm also not in a good position to keep them. So if anyone wants some camponotus, contact me! I'll make a seperate post about it later.

 

Anyway, time for a much-needed update! Vin and Antoinette's now both got an outworld! Antoinette's doing better then Vin, with far more workers then Vin's. Anotinette has 10+ and Vin around five. 

Vin's colony is also living in the tubing that connects the outworld from the testube . So...that's a problem. They first moved out from their testube because there was a mold outbreak, but they're refusing to move back in even after I changed their testube. 

 

Vin's Outworld:

 

Look how full that replete is! They've been drinking a lot of sugar water lately. I see lots of early stage larvae. Hope they grow fast!

 

Antoinette's Outworld:

 

I forgot to take the brand stickers off the plastic jar I used as the outworld, sorry you guys couldn't get a clear look inside. There is a testube full of honey water inside. 

I noticed that the cotton and the mealworm was getting moldy, and the water was turning yellowish, so I plan to move them into a different testube soon. I would do it earlier, but they've been pretty stressed recently.

 

That's about it! I really enjoy writing this journal and being part of this amazing community! Thanks you all for reading! 

Edited by IdioticMouse26, August 14 2024 - 6:21 PM.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

How funny my vicnus that got founded from a single queen also has 5 workers.

[IdioticMouse26]

Moving day! I'm trying to move Antoinette to a new testube but she's a little hesitANT . So is Vin. She's STILL living in the tubing connecting the outworld. It's getting colder here in Canada, so things have slown down a bit. I can tell the workers are a bit lethargic. 

 

Antoinette:

As you can see, the testube they are currently in is quite dirty with multiple mold outbreaks. I have a new testube attached by tape that is kept dark by a unused sock.

 

Vin:

Vin is being very stubborn and refuses to move for a week now. I've fed her colony a half a mealworm recently, but they're not showing much interest. I hope she's not getting too stressed. 

 

Well, that about wraps it up. I guess this upload was kinda short. 

[IdioticMouse26]

Today's update has some bad news...

I gave Antoinette with her 10+ workers an outworld after they moved to the new testube. I was going to make a update about it in the journal but something bad happened. I didn't secure the lid well enough and around seven of her workers escaped. 

And my mom told me she killed four ants she saw on our house(and then I had to go on a long explanation on how workers can't start new colonies). The other three is missing. Now Antoinette only has three workers and no brood. I think she ate all the brood out of stress. 

I have moved her colony back to a testube setup and gave them some honey. I really hope that they pull through this return to their former numbers.

 

Vin's doing ok. Her workers are always full from the sugar water I give them. But they don't move around much. 

 

Well...that was today's small update...really bummed about all this.

[Ants_Dakota]

Today's update has some bad news...

I gave Antoinette with her 10+ workers an outworld after they moved to the new testube. I was going to make a update about it in the journal but something bad happened. I didn't secure the lid well enough and around seven of her workers escaped. 

And my mom told me she killed four ants she saw on our house(and then I had to go on a long explanation on how workers can't start new colonies). The other three is missing. Now Antoinette only has three workers and no brood. I think she ate all the brood out of stress. 

I have moved her colony back to a testube setup and gave them some honey. I really hope that they pull through this return to their former numbers.

 

Vin's doing ok. Her workers are always full from the sugar water I give them. But they don't move around much. 

 

Well...that was today's small update...really bummed about all this.

It happens to all ant keepers at some point, don't worry too much. Just make sure to keep feeding the colony whether they seem to be eating it or not, as that will prompt the queen to keep laying. Also, I'm a huge Stormlight Archive fan!

[Stubyvast]

Noooo I'm so sorry man! I was rooting for this colony. I definitely hope they can get back to their original numbers! Was the barrier too weak for them in the outworld?

Yeah I'm sure this does happen to every ant keeper, I've dealt with a couple escapes from my lasius niger colony. 

 

 

 

Today's update has some bad news...

I gave Antoinette with her 10+ workers an outworld after they moved to the new testube. I was going to make a update about it in the journal but something bad happened. I didn't secure the lid well enough and around seven of her workers escaped. 

And my mom told me she killed four ants she saw on our house(and then I had to go on a long explanation on how workers can't start new colonies). The other three is missing. Now Antoinette only has three workers and no brood. I think she ate all the brood out of stress. 

I have moved her colony back to a testube setup and gave them some honey. I really hope that they pull through this return to their former numbers.

 

Vin's doing ok. Her workers are always full from the sugar water I give them. But they don't move around much. 

 

Well...that was today's small update...really bummed about all this.

It happens to all ant keepers at some point, don't worry too much. Just make sure to keep feeding the colony whether they seem to be eating it or not, as that will prompt the queen to keep laying. Also, I'm a huge Stormlight Archive fan!

 

YESSS go Brandon Sanderson! Me too, I love the series, as well as Mistborn and some of his other collections. Can't wait until the fifth book comes out, right?!?

[IdioticMouse26]

Thank you for your supports! I do have some good news, I managed to catch two of the escapees and returned them to the colony!

[RushmoreAnts]

Ants are naturally equipped to deal with such losses, as those escapees likely would have died in the wild to predation anyways. The test of a truly fit colony is whether it can thrive in spite of difficulties such as worker losses and food shortages. From nanitic count, at least, it seems like your queens are both quite healthy, and they should make a full recovery.