I've been waiting for the weather to warm up so I can try and get a few new colonies going.
Several years ago, I had great success with a fire ant colony. I know...but I was a beginner and loved my stupid little fire ants. Not being very experienced, I just threw a tube with a queen and a few workers into a 10-gallon tank with 3 inches of packed clean topsoil. I used talc to keep them inside, and double-sticky tape on the outside to catch the monthly escapee. They really flourished for a long time.
Then my city water changed the chemical they used in the tap water. It wiped out the entire colony. I knew some people that lost their fish after a water change. I was SO crushed... This colony had a fascinating learned behavior that I'll probably post about later.
Each year since then, I've tried to get a new colony going. My co-workers have even learned how to spot queens, and I'll sometimes find little sandwich bags on my desk with one inside. But, something happens every single year and I fail: Fungus, Mites, the Flood of 2015, or my own stupidity/forgetfulness.
This year I'm determined.
I've got my test tubes, cotton, and bottled water ready to go! 
Franz
