177 replies to this topic

[XZero38]

Yeah my heating cable is on all the time but its only on one part of the nest, so usually all the pupae and some of the larger larva are as close to the heating cable as possible with the eggs and smaller larva further away closer to the moisture.

 

As far as what i feed them its usually crickets, but i have given them wingless fruit flies as well as various other things, cooked plain chicken, peanut butter, hot dog for protein. I also gave them a bee that had stung something and was dying on my drive way which i put in the freezer then gave to them. So i might start giving them more bugs i find around my house. I've given them fruit which they always cover with trash right away, sugar water, honey diluted with a bit of water and sunburst 2-3 times a week. 

[sgheaton]

Heating cable was always on and they were staying away from it (about 2 weeks ago) so I removed it. Put it back and I'll leave it constantly on now. Kinda takes over a corner but certainly not the whole thing. There's places to cool off.

I'm running into petco today to get a 48" light for the cichlid tank, was going to see if they'd give me a cricket. Haven't ran into my neighbor to get one from his daughter. I tend to give them cooked chicken from my meals but I'll switch it up. Peanut butter? ..I'll give it a try. Hot dog!? Meh..Ok. Guess I'll be havin' good ole hot dog mac'n'cheese. 

 

I've got bees on ....whatever two trees I've got that are producing flowers. I'll never intentionally kill a bee though and want to avoid any bugs from my yard as they might be tainted with the chem! That's my only hold off on insects from around the house. 

They have ignored honey and do not seem interested in the sunburst anymore really. 

[noebl1]

I've been doing mine without a heating cable.  Mainly as I know this species can grow really large in a reasonably fast time frame (1-2 years), so don't mind keeping them closer to room temp (high 60s, low 70s this time of year).  They seem to be doing fine, just definitely not as fast production.  I had 20-30 pre-hibernation, lost maybe 1-2 during hibernation, and a month or so after taking them out, the new workers started fully eclosing.

Edited by noebl1, March 31 2017 - 6:00 AM.

[sgheaton]

4/3/2017 - Cricket time!

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Spent the weekend at Petco fighting over getting the correct 48" light for the cichlid tank....Remembered to ask for a single cricket. The clerk gave me a tiny lil guy, which I graciously accepted before chopping its head off. I put it on a piece of foil and set it in the "food area" next to a piece of the cinnamon roll pancake I made for breakfast. Within 5 minutes, there was a small pile on the cricket.

 

What proceeded was so crazy, only first time anters will understand. Mind you, this was more or less the first real source of insect protein they've been given from an actual insect. I *DID SOMETHING* to pass ~10 minutes of time. Made lunch, worked on the fish tank, I don't remember the exact action that happened, just that a brief moment in time had past. When I looked in next, there was a pile of ants on it. I could see the leg move completely, the cricket had probably moved off the foil about half an inch. SO many workers were on the cricket body. It started to look like it was drying out, not sure how as it was ~20 minutes. Perhaps there were that hungry that they scarfed as much as possible to bring back to home. 

Which if you looked back at the formicarium, they had moved two pieces of the sugary pancake to a bottom chamber. Next thing I knew, there was a lonesome worker moving the entire cricket leg up the side of the formicarium. 

 

She could have used the ramp conveniently above her, but no, they wanted to make their own path. She eventually made it in, but not after many repeated tries. I took many videos of it. Every time I looked back at the cricket, more and more workers were on it. I took many videos of them moving the pancake and cricket into home base. The cricket was completely off of the foil that I removed that part. Next time I looked..maybe...2 hours later, the cricket body was gone. I haven't been able to locate it. Not sure if they brought it into their formicarium. Can't see it. I think its at the base of everything. They've made their..entrance down there for the time being. I've been expecting to find it inside but haven't yet. The leg made it inside and has a pile of larva on it. There's a group off in the corner that's half amber and half milky white. A pile of eggs in the top being worked on... Things are really taking off.

I should say that I haven't mentioned this yet... SOMETIME..like...in the last month or 2...the queen has FINALLY lost her wings. She has had the partial half ones from the get go. Anytime I would look in on them, the queen would fall from the ceiling to the floor. I figured I was  scaring her with the sudden blast of light that she simply fell - other part of me figured she was giving herself back suplexs to remove her wings. Either way, they are finally gone...MONTHS after her initial capture and workers. 

Edited by sgheaton, April 3 2017 - 7:51 AM.

[XZero38]

I know how that is, the past 3 crickets i have given my tetras after a couple hours they completely vanish. I look inside the nest with a flashlight and i still never find them. Even in their garbage pile i don't see cricket parts. Every part of it just gets used i guess.

[sgheaton]

Tetras make a garbage pile? Thought that was a Pogonomyrmex trait. 

[ctantkeeper]

Tetras make a garbage pile? Thought that was a Pogonomyrmex trait. 

Yeah, most ant species will create midden piles for disposing both waste and dead bodies.

[sgheaton]

I was under the impression that tetramoriums were a bit of a jerk ant in that they were dirty and didn't clean up after themselves. 

[Goldsystem]

I was under the impression that tetramoriums were a bit of a jerk ant in that they were dirty and didn't clean up after themselves.

They do like to put sand on the glass of my formicariums though

[Alabama Anter]

Oh yeah all my ants LOVE crickets

[sgheaton]

4/10/17  - Simple Update

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Trimmed the background so it looks all fancy. It does look that much better from the outside, but a nice.. in scene(?) inside? Trying to make it all pretty.....Found the cricket body the other day. They moved it into the lower chamber finally. I saw some larva being placed on it. I've been giving them more food, a.k.a pieces of whatever I'm eating. The small brownie speck was gone this morning so I'll give them more of that later. Didn't care all too much for the Peanut Butter Banana muffins I made though. Or the byformica liquid feed, they've seemed to ignore that stuff. Gave them a new "helping" of liquid, re-watered, life is good. 

 

Except they are dirty lil buggers!

BAH!

[sgheaton]

4/13/2017 - Simple Update

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So I found what looked like a green fly thing. Didn't look like an ant but it had wings and thus it must be captured and put in a test tube. Turns out it was a sweat bee. Was really impressed at how many knew that. Thank you all for addressing that. Was going to release it but I took Zero's advice and gave it the frozen closet treatment before dropping it into the outworld. I will never ceased to be amazed at how quickly the ants react. I honestly didn't get to see what happened. I was planning on taking a picture of the process, then remembered I was suppose to take pictures for those that were IDing. Well I didn't cause I forgot, and then next thing I know is the fly is gone. There is "food corner" that I will put food in, and the fly body was gone within....whatever the heck it was I was doing at the time.

 

I saw 6 workers out in the outworld which was uncommon to me. Normally I have 1, maybe 2. I have a wild Lasius colony in my not-garden right now. There is all sorts of movement watching them. Perhaps my Tets are getting more active now. It has been very nice weather in Colorado. If heat were here, ants would be plenty. So...give till this weekend.  Maybe they are just looking for more food. Probably insect protein. Anyways, with the increase of traffic, I decided to recoat with fluon. Instead of the...eye mascara applicator, I used the tiny vial with the mesh top. Worked much better though I probably applied too much. Or I wasn't doing enough before. No idea! Debating a lid. Different styles of lids. Then it gets into a debate of the functionality of what is being fabricated which is just extending the lip, which the original, already made design, has. SOoooo... its a mental battle that I'll attempt to formulate into words and present to ya'll...later. 

 

Woke up this morning and morning inspection produced the fly body. Except I only took one picture! Freaggin' android sent out an S7 update again that made stuff all not nice. If I don't select the pictures after I take them, they don't save. Something weird stupid junk like that. While I took more pictures, all I've got is this blurry angled one. 

[ctantkeeper]

 

I was under the impression that tetramoriums were a bit of a jerk ant in that they were dirty and didn't clean up after themselves.

They do like to put sand on the glass of my formicariums though

 

Finally, someone feels my pain lol

[sgheaton]

There has been a black cricket leg that has slowly been migrating to the out world... I'm waiting for the day I can remove it because it bugs me seeing a black chunk..float.ing..int he middle of the glass!

 

I didn't create a seal between the formicarium and the glass. I imagine as they continue to grow, they'll pile more into the creases. 

[sgheaton]

4/18/17 - House fun
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Alright boys and girls, it's time to play that great game of "Spot. The. Ant-trail!" On Friday I was outside around the house, when I noticed I've got some serious ant trail action happening. Can you find the trail? It's going to be quite difficult..

 

I'm not sure how to make the [spoiler]/sp text so I've left the answer as a clickable: http://imgur.com/cqK6NZr

 

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I believe they are Tetramoriums. A bunch were trailing hard in the cracks of the bricks to the sun flower...shell..mass pile that the birds have made conveniantely over piles of stone and brick!... 

 

I've got founding holes, though I think they are emergence holes, all over as well. 

Went through with my shovel to try and find something for kicks'n'giggles. Actually came across, like Loops said, sand that appeared to be melting. The Solenopsis Molesta are all over I guess. Great.. 

 

Found the Tet. colony as well and took these horrible pictures. 

& 

They've got a big hole growin' though. 

 

Mine that I have in the fish tank inside are doing well. Gave them some chicken from my pizza last night only to see it gone from the foil plate this morning. It was inside the first chamber so that might be their food storage. Good deal as I can access that chamber from the entrance port to remove anything molding. 

 

The egg pile is actually...a pile now. 

It's been .."a layer" of eggs before. Now there are multiple layers so a pile has been created! 

Edited by sgheaton, April 18 2017 - 6:24 AM.

[XZero38]

looks like your colony will be growing quickly soon.

[sgheaton]

Danget..I got all excited because I saw "tetramorium" and then your name so I clicked it without really reading. This is my journal! I thought you were updating yours!

 

I've probably got... ~30 workers with a good set of 20 on the way and another 30 behind them. Currently liking chicken that I've been cooking. They bring it into their formicarium at least. No go on the syrup, byformica liquid, or other sugary treats. Tried to get a cricket from my neighbor but all of them were dead. Not...knowing their freshness I'm going to wait till they get a new batch. 

[XZero38]

ill have to do an update on my tetras here soon. I updated a couple of my other journals though.

[sgheaton]

It's just fun to compare what I've got to yours!

[XZero38]

It's just fun to compare what I've got to yours!

and what you have to look forward to