2124 replies to this topic

[ConcordAntman]

So, my colonies are out of diapause. Two out of three survived. The first C. pennsylvanicus queen I found in my yard in May of 2018 has a pretty robust colony (the queen is at the roof of the chamber). This colony has my most aggressive and successful foragers. Whatever I place in the feeding dish gets devoured!

 

Unfortunately I’ve lost another of my May 2018 queens. I thought she survived diapause but after about a week she was walking backwards and  just curled up into a ball and died. I’m not looking forward to euthanizing the brood. 
 

 

My adopted C. americanus colony also seems to have made it through unscathed. I’m alternating between mealworms and flightless fruit flies with a hummingbird nectar chaser! Looks like there are full gasters but no eggs yet. 
 

 

I’m hopeful that my remaining two colonies will survive and flourish. On the bright side, I’ll have a formicarium ready for this season’s nuptial flights!

 

 

[RushmoreAnts]

Can’t you introduce the brood to the other colony? Ants4Fun has even merged several orphan pennsylvanicus colonies with a queened colony.

[Thunder_Birds]

Nice ConcordAntMan! Those colonies look like they are doin' great! I have a Pennsylvanicus colony too, do you have any tips? I’ve had them for around 2 years, and they only have 11 workers Last summer I (on accident) fried them and lost around 15 workers, so ya...

[ConcordAntman]

AntsDakota, I haven’t tried that. My other C. pennsylvanicus colony is doing fine and I worry that I might introduce whatever killed off the queen into the healthy colony. 

Edited by ConcordAntman, March 13 2020 - 6:21 PM.

[ConcordAntman]

Thanks Thunder_Birds, I started with 5 C. pennsylvanicus queens in May 2018. Two died (1 parasites, 1 stress), the other three founded colonies. The third queen died last June and the fourth this week. When the third queen died I purchased the C. americanus colony from a local ant keeper. I’m just making it up as I go along! I try to keep fresh hummingbird nectar and vary their protein source. Chicken, fruit (apples, banana) mealworms (live and rehydrated dried) flightless fruit flies. I’m planning to add some Sunburst nectar to their diet as well. 

Edited by ConcordAntman, March 13 2020 - 6:43 PM.

[Thunder_Birds]

Awesome, thank you! Sorry about the deaths of your queens Yeah, I going to try to really give them a lot of protein this summer, and keep ether some sun, or heating lamp on them. 

[noebl1]

Looking good @ConcordAntman!  I've been keeping ants since 2016, so not too long, but enough to see random deaths like that usually each season.  One year I had 3 Tetramorium queens in year 2 all day within a few months of each other while workers were all fine (so rules out likely external toxins.)  I suspect in that cause genetics can play a part as they all came from the same flight in the same area, caught in the same pool.

 

Now that my C. nearcticus and C. americanus are hitting year 3, I'm going to try to introduce diluted urea based on some theories about Camponotus needing them for their symbiotic bacteria.  Over diapause I did a bunch of nest work/testing, but neglected to do any outworld work... so been trying to catch up on that.  I did these nest for my P. occidenatlis, but may try it with my C. americanus as well: 

 

I started warming up my P. imparis as well as outside is foraging temps for them.  They are likely the first to get badly needed outworlds   Likely going to delay my Aphaenogaster and Lasius a bit longer and not quite ready for them.

[ConcordAntman]

Noebl1, wow those look great. Looks like you’ll have a good start to the 2020 season. Hope all goes well as you wake your other colonies. I’m looking forward to nuptial flight season. I’ll have a free formicarium this time. 

[ConcordAntman]

Hope you all are well. My C. pennsylvanicus

and C. americanus colonies

are soldering on. The C. americanus have sort of, developed a taste for mealworms but they’re not as robust as the C. pennsylvanicus. No brood yet. I’m awaiting an order of Dubia roaches from Rainbow Mealworms to see if that’ll be accepted as a protein source for their queen. With all the gloomy news afoot, I still haven’t been able to euthanize my queen-less colony. Guess I’ll wait for the next warm sunny day. Stay safe and healthy folks!

[ANTdrew]

Good looking colonies! All my colonies love dubia roaches way more than mealworms.

[RushmoreAnts]

Those americanus almost look like castaneus in a way.

[ANTdrew]

The black head is the difference.

[Technomyrmex]

Looking good @ConcordAntman!  I've been keeping ants since 2016, so not too long, but enough to see random deaths like that usually each season.  One year I had 3 Tetramorium queens in year 2 all day within a few months of each other while workers were all fine (so rules out likely external toxins.)  I suspect in that cause genetics can play a part as they all came from the same flight in the same area, caught in the same pool.

 

Now that my C. nearcticus and C. americanus are hitting year 3, I'm going to try to introduce diluted urea based on some theories about Camponotus needing them for their symbiotic bacteria.  Over diapause I did a bunch of nest work/testing, but neglected to do any outworld work... so been trying to catch up on that.  I did these nest for my P. occidenatlis, but may try it with my C. americanus as well: 

 

I started warming up my P. imparis as well as outside is foraging temps for them.  They are likely the first to get badly needed outworlds   Likely going to delay my Aphaenogaster and Lasius a bit longer and not quite ready for them.

These formicariums look great! How do you have the watering system setup?

[ConcordAntman]

Good looking colonies! All my colonies love dubia roaches way more than mealworms.

ANTdrew, I’ve never fed Dubia roaches before. I’ve had mixed luck with flightless fruit flies. All my colonies loved them but it’s so early in our spring that our ambient temperature isn’t warm enough to keep a fruit fly culture going (I don’t have an incubator). I picked Dubia roaches thinking that between my colonies I can feed them out pretty quickly and then replenish. How do you feed them to your colonies, live or freeze-thawed?

[ANTdrew]

I pop the dubias straight in the freezer as soon as I open the box. I serve them cut in half and thawed.

[ConcordAntman]

Will do. Thanks!

[ConcordAntman]

Got some noob-ish questions. Do you rehydrate the roaches with a drop of water? Also, how long do these frozen roach-sicles keep?

[Temperateants]

Lol, the idea of feeding ants urine or animal feces is funny. Noeb1l suggested feeding ants diluted Urea crystals.

[noebl1]

Lol, the idea of feeding ants urine or animal feces is funny. Noeb1l suggested feeding ants diluted Urea crystals.

 

On one C. americanus colony I offered water and 5-10% urea water from urea crystals, https://www.amazon.c...duct/B00WSLWJJE.  Other colonies still in the basement for a bit longer as not ready for them.

 

No solid evidence either way, however the urea water is seems to be getting used up, or evaporating? faster than the fresh water.  Going to try my C. nearcticus next as got some new byFormia feeders

[noebl1]

These formicariums look great! How do you have the watering system setup?

Sorry just saw this! There's a boxbox container underneath from The Container Store, so I can go months without watering them   Underneath the tile or screen is a sponge to bring the water up to hydrate the nest. I have to keep the heat off of the tile ones or it condenses pretty fierce as pretty humid.  Only an issue for the Pogonomrymex as I don't heat the rest of my ants.  Here's where I get them; https://www.containe...uctId=10032168