2124 replies to this topic

[ConcordAntman]

Follow up to my overcrowded Phalanx formicarium. I’m adding an annex. Ordering another Phalanx with a right-side connection and no outworld. Can’t wait for it to arrive!

[ANTdrew]

Follow up to my overcrowded Phalanx formicarium. I’m adding an annex. Ordering another Phalanx with a right-side connection and no outworld. Can’t wait for it to arrive!

Cool! Keep us posted. You guys with big Camponotus colonies make me kind of jealous.

[Scherme]

Send your ants to Harvard! https://harvardfores...fgane/specimens

Not for an education unfortunately, but for identification. Not sure if this has been shared before, thought it was interesting.

[ConcordAntman]

Send your ants to Harvard! https://harvardfores...fgane/specimens

Not for an education unfortunately, but for identification. Not sure if this has been shared before, thought it was interesting.

Interesting, I’ve occasionally visited Harvard’s Museum of Natural History, E. O. Wilson’s office is there. He’s Professor Emeritus of the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and a former curator of their Museum of Comparative Zoology. I can’t even find a display related to ants there! It’d be nice to be able to go into town and see an academic presentation of some sort on something I’ve been interested in most of my life    I’ve actually spent the past 30-45 minutes trying to find a virtual lecture or display on our field at Harvard and... nothing! Anyone near Beantown know if any of the other universities around town have anything pubically accessible (virtually for now I’d guess) on myrmecology?

Edited by ConcordAntman, February 28 2021 - 7:08 AM.

[ConcordAntman]

 

Follow up to my overcrowded Phalanx formicarium. I’m adding an annex. Ordering another Phalanx with a right-side connection and no outworld. Can’t wait for it to arrive!

Cool! Keep us posted. You guys with big Camponotus colonies make me kind of jealous.

 

These are the specs I came up with:

 

Phalanx Annex Dimensions 

• 6”X 2”X 3”
• No outworld 
• One-sided Museum glass front
• One nestmate port on left, one on the back
• Water tower ports on the back
• Right-sided 3/8” diameter access tube centered 1-1/4” high and 1-1/4” from back
• 3/16” thick base, offset 1/8” to the left to mesh with existing Phalanx nest

This is the first of my 3 Phalanx formicaria that I’ve outgrown and it’s taken 3 years! I’ll have to find more shelf space in my book closet and I’m a bit concerned about how heavy it’ll be but hey, I’ve got some free weights hanging around the house. I’ll manage 

Edited by ConcordAntman, February 28 2021 - 7:21 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Very nice. Did you customize the Phalanx? I’ll probably be needing an annex on my Nucleus III for my Crematogaster megacolony this season.

[ConcordAntman]

Just a little customization. Deleting the outworld, the nestmate positions, the water tower ports, the size and position of the access port. The big thing is the baseplate. I don’t think Mack is making the Phalanx with a baseplate anymore. Back in 2018 when I bought mine he was. To make a flush fit and for ease of movement, I want the baseplate on the annex but it’ll need to be offset. I communicated with Mack at weeks end and I’m waiting to confirm pricing. It’s customized enough that I can’t order it through the site. Leaving the outworld selection blank blocks being able to move your order to cart. I mentioned that to Mack too. I can’t wait for it to get made and delivered though. I’m having more of the workers camping out in the outworld while the queen has brood on both levels of the nest. Last year, I could fill a nestmate and have it drain down to 1/2 full in 5-6 days. Now it’s 3/4 empty in 72 hours even while the water towers are adequately filled. I’m thinking a growth spurt is happening!

Edited by ConcordAntman, February 28 2021 - 8:53 AM.

[Chickalo]

Waiting for the day when someone find a prenolepis queen up here

[Temperateants]

Waiting for the day when someone find a prenolepis queen up here

Back when I was in the antkeeping discord, almost everyone but me found Penolepis and Solenopsis lol.I was lucky to find another crematogaster queen though. They key is to walk in a reliable queen finding location at 1 (early afternoon) for weeks in late summer, and you'll probably find a queen.

Edited by Temperateants, March 10 2021 - 2:21 PM.

[Antcatcherpro3]

Hello. I am new to this topic (just found it), but I live in MA also. 

[Manitobant]

Hello. I am new to this topic (just found it), but I live in MA also.

this topic has been running for a long time and is a general topic, so i would recommend not asking a lot of unnecessary questions in here or making unnecessary posts. This is also good forum advice in general.

[Antcatcherpro3]

All the ants I have in my yard are Formica Subsericea, which I have a colony of, camponotus Pennsylvanicus, Which I did have 2 colonys of (but....they died), I have lots of nylanderia parvula, which I have a colony of), and tons, and tons, and TONS of these small yellow lasius ants. I have gotten the ID before, but I forgot. They might be theif ants, as I have a colony of them, but they can't be, because every single queen of them I caught, didn't lay eggs. But just walking on my walkway last october I caught at least 30 queens. And none layed eggs .

[Antcatcherpro3]

K. Thank for the tip. I live in MA though so I like being able to talk with the other ant keepers from my state.

[Kaelwizard]

 

Hello. I am new to this topic (just found it), but I live in MA also.

this topic has been running for a long time and is a general topic, so i would recommend not asking a lot of unnecessary questions in here or making unnecessary posts. This is also good forum advice in general.

 

People are active here and he lives there so I don't see the issue.

[Kaelwizard]

All the ants I have in my yard are Formica Subsericea, which I have a colony of, camponotus Pennsylvanicus, Which I did have 2 colonys of (but....they died), I have lots of nylanderia parvula, which I have a colony of), and tons, and tons, and TONS of these small yellow lasius ants. I have gotten the ID before, but I forgot. They might be theif ants, as I have a colony of them, but they can't be, because every single queen of them I caught, didn't lay eggs. But just walking on my walkway last october I caught at least 30 queens. And none layed eggs .

Well they are either Lasius or thief ants, they can't be both. Lasius wait until after hibernation to lay eggs, so that is why you weren't seeing any. You also need to be patient. Queens will wait for the right conditions to lay and it may take a long time for them to develop.

[Antcatcherpro3]

Oh..... It would of been nice to know that when I caught them...

Next year I will try again.

[ConcordAntman]

I’ve got a question. I have a 3 year old bottle of Fluon that I’ve never used. Is it still good or do I need to get a fresh bottle?

[ANTdrew]

I’ve got a question. I have a 3 year old bottle of Fluon that I’ve never used. Is it still good or do I need to get a fresh bottle?

The suspended particles in fluon can settle over time, but it may still work. It will most likely stop heavy Camponotus.

[ConcordAntman]

Is it best to apply it with a cotton ball or a q-tip?

[Antcatcherpro3]

I use a cotton ball, but I think a q-tip would work also.