6 replies to this topic

[SaintDrake]

8/16/16

I really wanted to start an ant farm. Studied a whole bunch off this website and others. I then decided I would start a test tube colony from a colony in my parents' backyard. I have plenty of test tubes already (I am a Master's student in the sciences after all ) and went out back and lifted up some bricks and found a colony. I took the queen, 5 workers, and some brood and put them in their test tube.

8/30/16

The colony is doing well. They're cute little guys. There are now about 10 workers and the queen sits on a large pile of brood. There is a separate pile of what I assume to be cocoons maybe that is smaller in number but still about as big as the other brood pile. They have trouble moving the fruit flies I feed them. Thinking I should cut them in half first from now on.

I am just happy they're seemingly thriving.

Edited by SaintDrake, October 17 2016 - 3:55 PM.

[SaintDrake]

9/7/16

Fed these girls some sugar water I made over the stove. They seemed to enjoy it a lot. It's the first time them have had sugar since I dug them up so they probably really needed it. Everyone seems to be accounted for though. I think I see a few more new workers too but it is hard to keep an exact count.

[spider_creations]

Good to see that they have ate. you should try to feed them a cricket leg for the brood

[Shareallicu]

Wonderful!  Your colony sounds awesome!  One of my neighbors found me a Formica Argentea and she laid her first (that I saw) egg last night!  I'm very excited since she is the first queen I have ever had who lays eggs.  The first official queen I had died shortly after catching her.

 

Do you know when to move them into something else?  My test tube is big, but it's plastic and I can't see through it too well.  I would like to move her (I ordered some test tubes online, they should be here next week) I don't want to move her too early though.

 

Anyway, your colony sounds great!

[SaintDrake]

You can give her the option to move and see if she's willing. I doubt she will be though if she already has eggs. Your best bet is to just be patient until she wants to move.

9/25/16

I fed these girls a fruit fly and more sugar water today. Last week I fed them a fruit fly and sugar water too and today when feeding them I had to remove the wings of the last fruit fly from the end of the tube. Also a dead worker. They have so many now that it is of little significance though. They keep eating so I will continue feeding them. I am going to try and hibernate them sometime in October maybe.

[SaintDrake]

10/17/16

 

This colony is still doing well. Their test tube dried out so I put them in an outworld connected to a new fresh test tube. They haven't been bothered to move yet but as long as it can increase the moisture of their nest I think it is fine. They will move if they need to.

[MichiganAnts]

try to post pics, and once the queen has workers they can be moved