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[mbullock42086]

   Toward the end of June the wind shifted and a particularly strong monsoon season began, with a widespread flight of Camponotus ocreatus that resulted in millions of dealates, allowing me to quickly and easily collect many.

  I had kept around 25-ish or so, but lost all but 6 queens- many were claimed by some kind of white fungus, and the others were infertile and died- a good example of a dealate not necessarily having been mated.

   

   The survivors are all in 5oz delicups using fine sand and are doing well, with a few now having approx. 10-15 workers.  The sand negates the requirement of water towers, with the substrate itself being the water source.

    The queens have become tolerant enough to emerge and stay above after disturbance.  Here's one pigging out on a well-scrubbed mealworm (to remove eggs and mites)
 

  

  ^^ Note how they're all calm despite me jamming my camera in their faces and blasting them with a flashlight.  Also note them using the tray for their larvae lol.



   I will be making these guys some hearths, and will be giving them outworlds soon..  I'll probably update this in a week or two.

  That's pretty much it, for now, thanks.