2124 replies to this topic

[FeedTheAnts]

We’re in the same boat here in VA. WAY too cold for any flights and no change in sight. It was a warm winter and now a cold spring, pretty depressing.

It hit 75 degrees down by where I live, and it rain just enough to keep the humidity up. Things are looking good for next week especially, and if I can set up a blacklighting area by then I'm hoping to snag some Colobopsis and/or Camponotus.

[RushmoreAnts]

It got over 80 over here for the past couple days (a couple weeks after 6 inches of snow, lol). No flights yet, but lots of activity.

[ANTdrew]

We’re in the same boat here in VA. WAY too cold for any flights and no change in sight. It was a warm winter and now a cold spring, pretty depressing.

It hit 75 degrees down by where I live, and it rain just enough to keep the humidity up. Things are looking good for next week especially, and if I can set up a blacklighting area by then I'm hoping to snag some Colobopsis and/or Camponotus.

I thought you lived in NOVA? It’s straight 60s here until mid-May.

[RushmoreAnts]

Here it’ll be high sixties and low seventies (mostly seventies, though) until early June, when it starts to get into the eighties.

[ConcordAntman]

It’s depressing this rainy/cloudy/1 day of sun cycle we’re into here in MA. I can’t see us reaching the temperatures necessary for nuptial flights any time soon. Noebl1 called it, this is shaping up to be an iffy season .
 

Edited by ConcordAntman, April 26 2020 - 7:29 PM.

[ConcordAntman]

I’ve had to up my colony tending routine as my C. pennsylvanicus population is exploding. I’m feeding them about 3 times per week. I’m hopeful to get some growth from my C. americanus as well. I try to get some shots of the colonies with each feeding. It’s interesting how these two species differ.

Since starting, I’ve had a 20% survival of my C. pennsylvanicus queens (half at founding, half from die-offs over time). It seems though, if you make it past your second diapause, you’ll be in good stead. For the most part, C. pennsylvanicus has been easy to keep. While they’re slow growers (due to their size), they’ve not been picky eaters, they’re not particularly light sensitive, and don’t startle easily. The latter points make them easy to photograph. 

 

C. americanus on the other hand, require a bit more work. I managed to have a 10% population decline due to not feeding enough protein and the colony not having a taste for the protein I provided. Akaant and ANTDrew turned me on to Dubia roaches and they’ve taken to them like manna from heaven! In contrast to C. pennsylvanicus, they seem light sensitive and startle easily. The queen stays sequestered toward the back of the chambers in the shadows with her brood pile. All of this makes snapping shots difficult since I don’t want to stress them anymore than necessary to tend them. 

In about 2 weeks, I will have been ant-keeping for two years. Considering I started in the 1980’s one could say I’m a slow study but I’m nonetheless excited to finally succeed in this hobby. 
 

[noebl1]

So on a more positive note... we had a drought in 2016 in Massachusetts if I recall correctly, and noticed 2017 flights were smaller for sure.  It was before I kept records, so we more an anecdotal observations as had better flights in 2016 then 2017.  Also in 2016 was observing Fall ejections of Camponotus queens which can happen when they are low on resources. The last couple of Springs have been quite wet, and less dry conditions overall during the summer.  Could lead up to some large flights this year if we get some warmth.

 

I've also noticed some species may have cyclical flight patterns.  Some years I will observe very very large numbers for weeks of some species,then not see them at all the following year or in tiny numbers. I am unsure how much this is tracked in scientific studies?

[noebl1]

@concordantman those C. americanus look great!   One of my colonies had a *huge* die off about 2 weeks ago, I believe something they were exposed to as only those that left the nest area died.  Still trying to find it, though they having quite a few brood stacked up I am hoping they bounced back.  Took a 2nd colony out of diapause and they are doing well so far.  One more still in the basement I need to bring up.

 

Pic from the colony recently out of diapause.  I removed the enclosure cover and she was cautiously exploring the sudden difference in air pressure:

[ConcordAntman]

Noebl1, can you show a shot of those tubes? Are those 3-D printed plugs? Are they DIY or can they be purchased?

[ANTdrew]

Glad to help, ConcordAntMan. I’m having fun with a flightless fruit fly culture. I ordered them from Josh’s Frogs via Amazon, and they arrived in two days. I pour a bunch into a test tube using a funnel and freeze them. All my colonies love them and no mess is left behind. Something to consider.

[noebl1]

Noebl1, can you show a shot of those tubes? Are those 3-D printed plugs? Are they DIY or can they be purchased?

 

I 3D print the end caps in TPU so they don't shatter the glass (I learned the hard way standard PLA on the other hand not so good...)   It's the same stuff many cell phone cases are printed from.  Once it cools, safe for ants based on a couple years of testing   Those are ones i printed for 25mm test tubes for the Camponotus, here's a shot of what it looks like for the 16mm test tubes:

 

If you have a 3D printer, more then happy to share the STL.  

[ConcordAntman]

Noebl1, I don’t have a 3-D printer but those plugs look great! So you have a flat container as an outworld and the tubes serve as nesting chambers?

I went the AntsCanada route with the plastic tubes and a test tube portal as feeding chamber/mini-outworld. I had the option to coax the foundlings into the second tube if mold got too bad in the first one. 

 

ANTDrew, frozen flightless fruit flies (how’s that for alliteration!). I never thought of that They’d be another source to rotate protein. It sounds like you keep a “seed culture” and freeze them from there for feeding as needed. I’d gotten two shipments from Rainbow Mealworms but I don’t have an incubator and couldn’t keep the culture warm enough so I got a die-off after about a week. My ant “closet” doubles as storage space. I warm it with a ceiling light. It can be sweltering in the summer but with the temperatures we’ve had so far, the best I can do is 72-74 degrees. I’ll definitely try this if I can get a fruit fly culture to survive. If freeze-thawed Dubias are like a $20 bucket from the Colonel to our ants, then are freeze-thawed fruit flies like chicken nuggets?

[ANTdrew]

Excellent alliteration. Fruit flies are the nuggets of insect feeders, exactly.
I have my culture sitting with a tiny bit on a extra length of heat cable. I’m hoping to set up a new container to seed and keep a cycle going.

[Nathant2131]

Hey all, I haven't been on this forum for a minute but I'm glad this thread is still being used and wish everyone good luck with this years flights 

[noebl1]

@concordantman I apologize, I thought I had posted it in the past. I typically go from a test tube, to a test tube in an container, then move to a nest when they outgrow that. Here's some setups from a couple years ago:

 

 

 

 

I haven't printed TPU in a bit, but if I do another batch, I can print up a few extras for you.

[ConcordAntman]

noebl1,

Doh, I saw this last night, wrote a response, then got distracted before I hit send. I must’ve closed the window because what I wrote is gone. Well, you know what they say is the first thing to go...

Thanks for shot of your setup. Plastic cases with a molded grout base to accept the test tubes. I hadn’t seen it though I saw an on edge view of the cases in a shot of your cooler back when I was worrying about my colonies’ first diapause. I remember being dumbfounded by the sheer size of your collection. Impressive! I like the simplicity, size, and stackability of your setup. I’ve still got my empty Phalanx formicarium to fill. Three colonies might be my limit  Let’s all hope not only for good health but good collecting as flight season continues!

 

[noebl1]

noebl1,

Doh, I saw this last night, wrote a response, then got distracted before I hit send. I must’ve closed the window because what I wrote is gone. Well, you know what they say is the first thing to go...

Thanks for shot of your setup. Plastic cases with a molded grout base to accept the test tubes. I hadn’t seen it though I saw an on edge view of the cases in a shot of your cooler back when I was worrying about my colonies’ first diapause. I remember being dumbfounded by the sheer size of your collection. Impressive! I like the simplicity, size, and stackability of your setup. I’ve still got my empty Phalanx formicarium to fill. Three colonies might be my limit  Let’s all hope not only for good health but good collecting as flight season continues!

 

I've been scaling back, as takes the fun out of it a bit when constantly feeding and not getting to sit back and watch / focus on a colony or two and watch their day to day development or issues.  It's actually hydrostone in those pics and not grout, but recently switched to ultraca30 as it's low-expansion properties. The Hydrostone would expand JUST enough to warp the plastic slightly so little ants could escape.  Learned that the hard way.  I mix it up, and pour it in. It's thick enough I can basically lean it to one side for just a few seconds, and it will be thicker in the back than the front. I then place the test tubes in with caps on them so it can't enter, then pop them out after it's mostly set (usually pop right out without hassle.)  Takes me longer to drill the box then to make them.  In later iteration, I found the gaffers tape over the screen can get lose over time, so instead using a tube and a screen with a cap:

 

I put in a round piece of pipe screen I got from Amazon, place it into the bottom of the cap, then the friction of the tubing being put in keeps it in place. No glue, and easy to make.

Edited by noebl1, April 29 2020 - 9:09 AM.

[akaant]

Good to see everyone is alive and well including the ants. I had 2 colony losses during / just after diapause and the rest look fine. My C castaneus under 2 years old colony with 100+ workers and half that in brood, should explode at this rate this summer.

I made a properly working version of my multi-colony watering tower that's actually leak proof. It saves so much time being able to refill 12 reservoirs at once.

Edited by akaant, May 2 2020 - 4:50 PM.

[NickAnter]

I'm pretty sure that's americanus not castaneus. Some workers are far too dark to be castaneus. Never mind.

Edited by NickAnter, May 2 2020 - 6:11 PM.

[akaant]

The colony is C castaneus with some C americanus workers brood boosted. Not long after I captured the 5 worker colony I had the opportunity to brood boost with C americanus.  I didn't know if it would work out, but had to try everything because of the rarity of the species in my state.

Side by side of both species coexisting.