96 replies to this topic

[rptraut]

Update 02JN25

 

Crematogaster 3 Colony Moved In

 

After being connected to their new Ant Form for two weeks this colony has completed the move and settled into their new housing.   The bottom view under the floating stone is a unique feature of this setup.

 

 

 

 

Please enjoy this tour of the ant shelf in my workshop where I keep many of my  Camponotus, Myrmica, Crematogaster, and Lasius colonies.   

 

 

I welcome your comments

RPT

Edited by rptraut, June 2 2025 - 1:13 AM.

[rptraut]

Update 19AU25

 

I have to apologize for my failure to update this journal in a while.    Following a freak accident while getting off the couch (no kidding), a recurring back problem that I've had all my life, became a constant pain in my lower back with shooting pain down both legs and the occasional muscle spasm, just to add a little variety.    I have osteoarthritis in my lower spine.  For many weeks I could barely walk, and I found it impossible to lift heavy objects, so I had to give up beekeeping.   The garden was neglected somewhat, but I still managed to look after my ant colonies.   I'll file a detailed report on their progress in a few days.    After many visits to an osteopath, my back is on the mend.   I can walk again, pain free, so onward and upward.  

 

 

Leafhopper/Ant Symbiosis

 

Leafhopper nymphs and adults produce honeydew, much like the aphids and scale insects that I've discussed in previous posts.   The following video shows how a Camponotus  colony tends leafhoppers on a sunflower plant growing on our deck.   

 

 

 

 

Leafhopper nymphs

 

 

 

Leafhopper adults

 

 

Your comments are welcome.

RPT

 

 

 

[ANTdrew]

Welcome back, Robert! Your contributions have been missed.

[rptraut]

Update 19SE25

 

My Back is Back

 

Imagine my relief when my disc and vertebrae finally slipped back into their proper positions and the pain in my legs and back were instantly gone.   Thanks to some osteopathic adjustments, some yoga, and a little bit of luck, I'm feeling fit and hope to be posting more in this journal.   Stay tuned for more detailed videos about the colonies you see previewed in the following video.

 

 

Enjoy your time...

RPT

[ANTdrew]

Praise God! You’ve been missed, my friend.

[rptraut]

Update 20SE25

 

RPT's Tetramorium Colonies

 

As promised, this is the first in a series of videos that will describe, in detail, how I house and tend to my ant colonies.   This video focuses on my three Tetramorium colonies.   I hope you find it interesting and informative.    

 

 

 

I welcome your comments.

RPT

 

 

[rptraut]

Update 26SE25

 

RPT's Tapinoma sessile Colonies

 

 

This video describes the Tapinoma sessile colonies that I keep and the progress and changes that have occurred this season.   If there's a way I can make these videos better, please let me know, otherwise hit the "like" button please, I need positive reinforcement.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for watching, I welcome your comments.

RPT

 

 

[rptraut]

Update 27SE25

 

My Crematogaster Experience .....so far

 

In this video you'll see how my Crematogaster colonies have progressed (or struggled) this season.   If anyone has an idea as to what's going on with these colonies, I'll be glad to hear your suggestions.   

 

 

 

 

Thanks for watching.

RPT

 

 

[rptraut]

Update 04OC25

RPT's Camponotus Colonies

In this video I explain the history and progress of my current Camponotus colonies. I found most of these queens in 2020....what do you think of them?




Thanks for watching.
RPT

Edited by rptraut, October 4 2025 - 4:58 AM.

[rptraut]

Update 07OC25

 

RPT's Lasius Colonies

 

In this video you'll see the Lasius colonies that I've kept this season.    I'll be happy to receive any clarification of the identification of these ants.  I believe they're all Lasius, but I'm never too sure.   

 

 

 

Thanks for watching.

RPT

 

 

 

[ANTdrew]

Update 27SE25

My Crematogaster Experience .....so far

In this video you'll see how my Crematogaster colonies have progressed (or struggled) this season. If anyone has an idea as to what's going on with these colonies, I'll be glad to hear your suggestions.





Thanks for watching.
RPT

I really hope these new queens do well for you!

[rptraut]

Update 17OC25

 

RPT's Myrmica, Formica, Brachymyrmex and Temnothorax Colonies 

 

This video concludes the descriptions of all the colonies I kept this season.    I welcome your comments.

 

 

Thanks for watching.

RPT

 

 

[rptraut]

Update 01NO25

 

Preparing My "Pet Rock" Colony for Winter Storage

 

Preparing this Tapinoma sessile colony for winter storage consists of a few key steps that I outline in this video.   

 

 

 

 

Since 2020 I've had a Tapinoma sessile colony in this setup, but they escaped during last winter's storage when the hydration tube came apart.     In July I was able to transfer a similar colony back in and I thought you might be interested to hear how I captured them.   In early April I set up a lure (trap) that I hoped would encourage a Tapinoma sessile colony to move in.   

 

I started with a large black plastic plant pot 12 in x 12 in (30 cm x 30 cm) and filled it with three stacks of 4 in (10 cm) plastic pots that extended above the height of the black pot.   I placed this setup in a spot with about 4 hours of direct sunlight and nestled it into the soil there.   This setup has a number of elements that Tapinoma sessile ants find attractive.  In the stacks of small pots, the spaces at the bottoms of each small pot forms a layer with access holes provided by the drainage holes in each pot.   Perfect for nesting ants. 

 

In the direct sunlight the whole unit was warmed inside the black pot and the tops of the smaller plastic pots were also warmed by direct sunlight.   The ants can find cooler refuge in the lower parts of the stack of small pots or in the soil below if it gets too hot.   But these ants love the heat and find it a very attractive place to nest.   They're also highly mobile and an entire colony, with multiple queens, will move to take advantage of a desirable location.   One of the most important steps in this process is to place the setup in an area where there are ants you want to capture and also in an area where they won't be disturbed.   I resisted the temptation to check the setup for three months, as any disturbance like that would surely spook any ants and they would probably leave.   

 

By the day of transfer, I'd prepared the Pet Rock setup by cleaning and disinfecting the container, plants and the test tubes I imbedded in it.   I also replaced the wood chips and sphagnum moss with fresh material, and I applied a fresh coat of heavy mineral oil to the tops of the walls for escape prevention.   Everything was hydrated and ready to go.   It was easy to transfer the ants from the pots to the setup.   I simply took each stack apart, pot by pot, and dumped the ants and brood into their new home.   I couldn't believe the number of ants and the amount of brood, eggs, larvae and no doubt queens that were in each layer on the warm sunny day I had chosen to do the transfer.   The ants took no time moving into the test tubes in the moss and wood chips.  It took them about a month to get into a regular routine.   

 

When I first began keeping ants, I was fortunate to acquire a Tapinoma sessile colony in a similar fashion.   Looking after that colony helped keep my interest while I waited for my queens to raise nanitics and start colonies in the usual way.   I feed these ants mostly meat products including cooked chicken, turkey and liver, canned dog food, salmon and raw ground pork.   They also enjoy the occasional insect as a treat.   I've recommended these ants before as a good beginner species.    They're easy to acquire, easy to keep, and with multiple queens, they increase fairly quickly yet I've never had a problem with overpopulation in a large formicarium.   

RPT

 

 

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

I've always wanted to ask, how do your formicaria work? I've seen that a lot of them are large Tupperware and I see in some posts, there is test tubes that seem to be buried and in others there is only dirt.

 

So these are my questions:

 

do all of your formicaria have pre built tunnels and test tubes buried in the dirt?

Is there any colonies that just simply nest in the dirt?

How does hydration work?

And final question, how many ants does each setup hold?

 

Hopefully my questions aren't too hard to understand and thanks for taking time to read them!

[rptraut]

Hello OwlThatLikesAnts;

 

Thank you for your questions.   My DIY formicaria are mostly made from food storage containers that I buy at our local Loblaws.   They have tight fitting lids, so I provide ventilation by drilling holes that I cover with 100 mesh stainless steel screen.    I fill most of the formicaria with wood chips and sphagnum moss.    I don't use much actual soil.   The wood chips are the kind you get from chipping wood and brush in a commercial woodchipper, so they're quite large and provide lots of voids for the ants to use for chambers.   Another advantage of the chips and moss is that they absorb a lot of water, keeping the humidity high.   The main problem is that it can be difficult to see the ants in the chips, so I often provide small test tubes against the acrylic wall to monitor their progress.   I usually incorporate at least a couple of test tubes or small bottles in each setup.   Most of my ants seem to live quite happily in them.   

 

Some of my colonies (Tapinoma and Myrmica) have multiple queens.    I've observed that these queens prefer to live separate from each other, so I provide those formicaria with numerous, small test tubes or bottles throughout the substrate where each queen can reside with her attendant workers.    Once the larvae reach a certain size, workers remove them from those test tubes and collect them in a communal nursery where they're raised by the entire colony.   Even single queens, like Lasius queens, seem to prefer a location away from the activity of the main colony where they can quietly lay their eggs and tend them for the early stages before they're removed by the workers to the nursery area.    I seldom check on queens so I don't interfere with the egg laying process, but I can still check the main colony and not disturb the queen(s). 

 

My formicaria are hydrated in a number of ways.   As stated previously, the chips and moss are hydrated by simply wetting the green moss on the top.    You might have noticed what look like cotton swabs, usually at the front.   These are actually plugs in a hydration tube that leads to a reservoir in the nest (plastic bottle cap or something similar) that is covered with fine mesh.   This is meant to provide humidity for the nesting area.   I don't rely on these "water towers" to provide drinking water, only humidity.   I provide drinking water in the outworld with a test tube or piece of sponge, dedicated to that purpose.   You may have also noticed that I usually try to incorporate what I call an "oasis' in the outworld.   This is a low area that I create when pouring the grout/vermiculite mix in the bottom of the outworld.    Any liquid will flow to that area, and I hydrate the moss there regularly.    Again, this is really just to maintain humidity, but if I see ants trying to drink there, I know it's time to check their water.   

 

It's difficult to say how many ants would fit into a specific setup.   When I see increased escape attempt activity or ants clustering outside the nest, I often add another module to the setup to give them more room.   I find that a reasonably large formicarium with wood chips and moss is easy for the ants to construct additional chambers in as they require them.    I also cull (remove) excess ants to keep the population at a level suitable for the formicarium.   

 

I welcome any other questions.

RPT

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Wow! thanks for the detailed response, I just learnt a thing or two about what ants like to live in and that wood chips are something that the ants will willingly nest in.

[rptraut]

Update 14NO25

 

Winter Storage of RPT's Ants in the Root Cellar

 

My root cellar was flooded last spring by exceptional rainfall, it wasn't that much water, but enough to cause a lot of mold and rot in the shelving there.   I've since rebuilt the shelving, better than before, and moved my ants in for their winter rest.   This video shows how my ants will be stored for the next four or five months.   

 

 

Thanks for watching.

RPT