2124 replies to this topic

[noebl1]

@ConcordAntman It's not an exact science TBH... some people even skip their first years hibernation.  I usually do 3-4mos, and play favorites a bit, as the more involved ants I may keep in hibernation a bit longer to give myself some time to prep.  Also there's some variation in nature too (hence not an exact science) as cold weather doesn't start/stop predictably every year.  For example I usually see Lasius as some of the very first, and last ants of the season foraging (long into October) if it's warm. While Camponotus I often see stop foraging in September.  Outdoor temperatures affect things as well for some species, for example P. imparis, Aphaenogaster and Lasius are more apt to forage if Spring/Fall temps are warm enough while others are done for the season.

 

So if you have queens/colonies in test tubes, rapid temperature increases from cold -> hot will flood a test tube. I *try* to take them out first, and put them into the basement at 50sF. Once there for a few days, bring them upstairs.  However even with this, I still had a few test tubes flood.  I don't think the ants themselves really have an issue with the warm up TBH.  Just be aware if the Camponotus pennsylvanicus are in full hibernation, it may take days to a week before the colony has woken up, so don't panic!  People will freak out as their Camponotus queen looks dead or barely moving, and it can take while for them to fully wake up.

 

I'll be checking on mine this weekend, so hopefully no surprises   I did notice what appeared to be a dead Tetramorium worker on top of one of the containers I removed with the dead Myrmica, so I am curious to see if one of the lids isn't on tight.  I've been full on testing new nest designs for this Spring on the printer, hoping to have something.

 

@Nathant2131 I see you've been lurking, you keeping ants again?

[Nathant2131]

@Nathant2131 I see you've been lurking, you keeping ants again?

I don't plan to keep them as crazy as before but I do plan on getting just a few queens this year. Maybe more P. imparis or Camponotus. Whatever I cross paths with I guess. I've gotten more into Fish keeping, Reptiles, and Amphibians . I'm glad this thread is still being used.

 

All I have left is a tiny Tetramorium immagrins colony, and a couple P. imparis colonies are still hanging in there.

[noebl1]

 

@Nathant2131 I see you've been lurking, you keeping ants again?

I don't plan to keep them as crazy as before but I do plan on getting just a few queens this year. Maybe more P. imparis or Camponotus. Whatever I cross paths with I guess. I've gotten more into Fish keeping, Reptiles, and Amphibians . I'm glad this thread is still being used.

 

All I have left is a tiny Tetramorium immagrins colony, and a couple P. imparis colonies are still hanging in there.

 

 

Good to hear!  I've been considering keep a couple terrariums myself... one for maybe a native species like Grey Tree Frog, and maybe another for scorpions... not sure

[Aquaexploder]

Lol hi everyone, it's been a while.

[ConcordAntman]

Thanks Noebl1. I’ll read up some more and decide. I’ve got 2 months to work out the timing. When my nanitics eclosed, I had 10-20/colony so I moved them from test tubes to formicaria. The formicaria seem to manage humidity better. In retrospect, the move to formicaria might have been premature. Looking at your cooler, you’ve got a lot more packed into yours than I have in mine.

[noebl1]

Checked on my ants in hibernation; couple interesting surprises:

• My failing C. americanus queen (that I think was a dud)  is still alive, but covered in mold on her gaster... not something I have seen before. I think the honey in her test tube molded and got on her, I doubt she'll make it like that
• My C. nearcticus looks like one test tube had a flood, found a couple dead workers, and brood/queen and remaining workers were huddled around the end of the test tube
• 2 of the C. nearcitcus queens in hibernation are absolutely motionless, while their workers are not overly active, but obviously alive. I know Camponotus queens can look dead while in hibernation, so holding out hope
• The Dolichoderus taschenbergi queen is still alive! Really hoping she continues to live and hopefully lays in the Spring
• FINALLY saw my 2017 Tetramorium queen is alive. Lost all my 2016 Tetramorium queens last year, so I hope she makes it...
• All 3 C. americanus queens with colonies are alive, and interestingly more active than I was expecting (being a ground dwelling species, this may not be unusual)
• Aphaenogaster colonies look good, this makes me happy as my favorites
• My L. americanus, L. niger and Lasius nearcticus looking ok as well
• Lost another Myrmica queen, not surprised there, never ever have one make it thru

Edited by noebl1, January 13 2019 - 5:53 PM.

[ConcordAntman]

Just your species list blows my mind ! When I grow up, I’d like to have that kind of grasp of this hobby.

[noebl1]

Just your species list blows my mind ! When I grow up, I’d like to have that kind of grasp of this hobby.

 

I started collecting them in 2016, and reached a point I am at saturation and had to stop myself from catching as much this summer as I don't need them (basically keeping specific species vs the Pokemon "gotcha catch them all").  My biggest sad loss this summer was a Pheidole queen; first one I've ever seen and she didn't make it.  Hoping to see what happens this season with more black lighting.  I still have a lot to learn

 

Best advice... go outside, a lot.  Watch the weather too, if it's hot/humid in the Spring/Summer, especially after it rains, go outside.  Also species fly at different times too; you get sorta a feel for it.  I started recording flights in 2017 in MA to try to find patterns:

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

All but about 10 of those were from my house.

[ConcordAntman]

The flight doc is great. Thanks! I spent last spring looking for queens along bike paths and abandoned rail beds around Concord but ended up finding all my queens in my yard. This year I’d like to develop more skill at identifying species. I’ve got the New England field guide so I just have to look!

[noebl1]

The flight doc is great. Thanks! I spent last spring looking for queens along bike paths and abandoned rail beds around Concord but ended up finding all my queens in my yard. This year I’d like to develop more skill at identifying species. I’ve got the New England field guide so I just have to look!

 

That's my experience too...  On days I think there may be flights due to weather conditions, I will go out and walk up and down the driveway, and around the house.  There's certain areas too you'll find they will "end up" as they land.  I have some steps they just gravitate too... as well as on our garbage and recycle bins.  I'll usually after walking around, then move the bins to see if anything under them. I also check under pots and such that are outside.  If I find something, I'll usually make that same trip again.  My recycle and garbage bins sometimes move a dozen times on flights as I move them looking    Also lots and lots of up and down the driveway, as they really are easy to spot waddling across the pavement.  I will do the same thing at night. I'll go out around 8-9pm after dark, and do that same walk.  You can often go outside and instantly tell there's no flights likely to happen (i.e. you don't see other insects really out attracted to lights.)  If I go outside and night and it's warm/humid, the driveway lights are covered in bugs (not just moths), there's a good chance ants of some sort will be flying too.  So again, I do my same rounds  

[ConcordAntman]

Well I think I lost 66% ☹. With our “polar vortex”, when I checked my cooler the temperature had dropped to 39 with an ambient of 54 (down from 60-62)! I adjusted the thermostat and pulled the formicaria but it looks like I lost two queens and perhaps 6-8 workers in each colony. I’ll still watch them through the spring. If the last queen survives, I’ll have to figure out what to do with the orphaned workers. On the bright side, I might have two empty formicaria to stock come spring/summer...

[noebl1]

Really sorry to hear about your loss 

 

I wonder if you have a faulty cooler?  Mine (so far) stays around 46F pretty rock solidly, and that's with the basement in the low 50Fs as well:

 

 

EDIT:  I used to use a Ranco temperature controller when I had fish tanks, wonder if this would help:

https://www.amazon.c...l/dp/B0015NV5BE

 

I think if you set a temp, let's say 40F, and you plug the cooler into that, it will shut the cooler off if it drops to that temperature so it can't cool below that point. Won't save you if the ambient room temperature drops to below 40F, but at least save you from a potential over cooling situation.

Edited by noebl1, January 25 2019 - 4:42 AM.

[ConcordAntman]

Thanks! It’s odd, I’d just checked my colonies last Sunday and everything was fine. The temperature had been stable for a month and just fluctuated this week as the ambient temperature dropped. I’ll have to look into the temperature controller. Hey, how’d you create that temperature graph😲?

Edited by ConcordAntman, January 25 2019 - 5:41 AM.

[noebl1]

Just checked on my ants in hibernation, looks like I lost 2 of the 3 C. nearcticus colonies; and the remaining one is a really a dud where the queen had 1 or 2 workers, and while alive, down to one worker and really no brood for Spring.  Looks like one of the colonies had a flooded test tube, and looks like basically killed the queen and brood. The other one the queen is all curled up, workers are preening the crap out of her, with a tiny chance she's hibernating, but looks dead with no movement at all   So far all my C. americanus are alive, which makes me happy as I very rarely see those, but I see C. nearcticus  pretty much every season.

My Aphaenogater were a lot more active than I expected though... could see a few foraging.

 

I pulled my single living Myrmica queen out of hibernation, I can't believe she's still alive as these never make it.

 

Pulled my P. imparis out this week as well, as were in since before Christmas, so should be enough time for them to have a short break.

[akaant]

My colonies are doing fine and no colonies died yet. I plan to pull them out of hibernation by the end of march. I lost just one cotton ball this year to that mouse so far.

[noebl1]

So quick update from here...  patience is a virtue.  I pulled the C. nearcticus colony with the apparently dead queen, and also inadvertantly killed the dud queen by dropping a test tube on her.  I decided after 5 days, the queen was all curled into a ball and not moving that I would likely put them back into hibernation this weekend, and I can brood boost a new queen I catch this Spring.  Surprisingly after almost a week, the queen came to, and was alive, couldn't believe it last night and thought I had imagined it.  I've read it can take 1-2 weeks for Camponotus to come out of hibernation (and look very dead), but didn't believe it (wish I had a picture, as she very much look like the proverbial dead queen with curled in legs and all).  So before you think your Camponotus are dead in hibernation, unless they are all moldy, keep them a bit to wake up

[ConcordAntman]

What you said! I’m still watching my 3 colonies. I checked them today and 😲SHE’S ALIVE! She and her brood have moved from where they were last week! It now seems I’ve just lost one of my three queens🤗 (she’s hanging by a leg from the formicarium’s ceiling so I’m thinking she’s a goner, but who knows 🤔). Surprisingly, most of the two surviving broods look intact as well. The basement is in the mid 50’s. When I checked the owners manual for the cooler it says if the ambient is > 77 or < 60 the internal temperature will fluctuate 🙄. Clearly, if I keep the cooler in the basement I’ll need to look into that temperature controller. Here’s hoping these two (or three) make it to March 🤞🏽

[noebl1]

That's great news!  TBH if they've been in since early October, and if there's a colony in trouble, taking them out a few weeks early isn't the end of the world.  Camponotus are a pretty durable species.

 

I've been experimenting a bit this season with some nest setups and designs, here's one I just started designing/printing/testing the last few months:

 

I'm trying a few interlocking nest designs, some with slots, others with tile:

 

I can get it down to printing an entire nest in about 3.5hours or so including the reservoirs, so that makes me happy. I'll likely need to adjust them, but running out of time for this season, so likely not much will change on these until the 2019 hibernation time to give me time to experiment more.

[ConcordAntman]

I had problems getting my cooler so I didn’t start hibernation until the first week of December. The first week of March would be 3 months. Think I should get them out of the cold then?🤔

3.5 hours per module? Really neat design to your formicarium! At that rate, you’ll be able to re-house all your colonies in 10 days! Is the rectangular extension at 6 o-clock (12 o-clock in your second picture) the hydration well for the nest?

Edited by ConcordAntman, February 3 2019 - 4:01 AM.

[akaant]

That's great news!  TBH if they've been in since early October, and if there's a colony in trouble, taking them out a few weeks early isn't the end of the world.  Camponotus are a pretty durable species.

 

I've been experimenting a bit this season with some nest setups and designs, here's one I just started designing/printing/testing the last few months:

 

I'm trying a few interlocking nest designs, some with slots, others with tile:

 

I can get it down to printing an entire nest in about 3.5hours or so including the reservoirs, so that makes me happy. I'll likely need to adjust them, but running out of time for this season, so likely not much will change on these until the 2019 hibernation time to give me time to experiment more.

Neat little formicariums. I've also been busy this winter designing 3D formicariums which I plan to share in the upcoming months.