174 replies to this topic

[Gregory2455]

These do not need to hibernate. 

[Tpro4]

Does it mean that they died off?

[dspdrew]

A lot of ants are going to look like they have died off or something during the winter; it happens every year. Even here in Southern California, I've gone out hiking in the middle of the winter, and have gone the entire day without seeing one ant.

[Gregory2455]

What died off? Nothing in this journal has died off except mites which were completely eradicated.

[DesertAntz]

He was speaking of a wild colony by his house, greg. 

[Gregory2455]

I see that now.

[Gregory2455]

Update: 11/16/2014

I have given my colonies of this species enough attention, all I would do is feed them and check on the queens, nothing more than that. I looked at them a bit more today, because I figured I would finally update this. All three colonies are okay, the two larger colonies probably have anywhere from 50-100 workers, and the smaller one is at about 25 workers, and sadly, not a lot of brood. Actually, none of these colonies have smaller larvae, but I did see a new clutch of eggs in he second of the larger colonies. I had to dump every single one of these colony's test tubes into their out-world to prompt a faster move into the new, and clean, test tubes offered by me. This was because, like my Tetramorium colony, the same yellow anaerobic bacteria is polluting their test tubes, which is probably the reason smaller brood items are dying, and a couple workers have died from it too. This will be updated again immediately after all three colonies move.

[DesertAntz]

How pissed did they get when you dumped them? I slightly agitated a wild colony of these gals and they looked like they were ready to kill a bear. 

[Gregory2455]

How pissed did they get when you dumped them? I slightly agitated a wild colony of these gals and they looked like they were ready to kill a bear.

They were pissed, but with the amount of brood the large colony has (~1.5:1), saving the brood seemed to be the priority.

[Gregory2455]

An actually random and pointless picture of the small colony...

They are all doing good, and two of the three queens of colonies of mine have swollen gasters, so a lot of brood coming my way. Perfect time to start using ByFormica Formula.

Edited by Gregory2455, November 28 2014 - 10:35 PM.

[Gregory2455]

One of the larger colonies has some blue larvae from the Blue 100 I have been feeding them. The other two, are yet to show any major interest in the Blue 100 other than workers drinking the liquid from the gel.

[drtrmiller]

Small colonies are more difficult to feed, regardless as to what you're using.  Just keep doing what you're doing and I predict you'll have success with them, eventually :~)

 

Gonna send you some SuperBoost at some point for those, as well.  I think Solenopsis will benefit greatly from it.

Edited by drtrmiller, December 9 2014 - 2:00 AM.

[Gregory2455]

Update: 12/20/2014

Due to the fact the small colony was shrinking daily, I moved them into a new test tube and out of the foraging container. Maybe in a normal, closed test tube, they will do better. 

 

The other two larger colonies are growing at a steady rate, but what is weird, is that I saw a callow foraging yesterday.

Also, in one of the big colonies, a couple foragers started an "ant death spiral" such as what is shown in this video, except on a smaller scale, with about 25 workers participating in it, before i broke it up and scared them off.

[drtrmiller]

Well at least you got a nice, clean photograph out of their demise :~)

[Gregory2455]

It is not demise, it is a mere withdraw.

[Gregory2455]

Update: 1/26/2015

The small colony appears to be done with hibernation, as the queen showed today by laying a new clutch of eggs!

Edited by Gregory2455, January 26 2015 - 7:11 PM.

[InsideAntz]

Big fan of the little ants... Yours look a lot like sugar ants.

They bounced back pretty good for ya, nice.

[Gregory2455]

Yeah, I hope they can bounce back!

[Gregory2455]

Update: 1/31/2014

I moved the two larger colonies into the very clear and amazing "boxbox" containers. These containers are better ventilated, are smaller, harder, and have way better visibility than their old containers, so now I can probably take some good video of them.

 

The smallest colony is down to four workers, and they ate the only larva in the last video. There seem to be more eggs however.

[LAnt]

Kinda confused on what the "boxbox" containers are.