2124 replies to this topic

[noebl1]

Looks like I will have to go hunting tonight.

 

If I wasn't so wiped out (walked a lot today looking for queens, haha) right about now thru the next couple hours with a flash light is often a good way to find them. I've noticed in the past they may fly  and then drop/hide, then when it's dark go and start looking for places to found. Easy to spot with flashlights, especially as cooler and they aren't moving quite as fast.

Edited by noebl1, May 17 2021 - 4:13 PM.

[Antcatcherpro3]

I am going to get my tetras an outworld soon.

[Chickalo]

If Camponotus is flying up there I hope it's also flying down here, probably will look for castaneus then (also this thread almost has 100 pages )

[zkublin]

Didn’t find any last night. Too cold probably. It was in the 50s with little to no humidity.

[noebl1]

Posted this to the AAK discord, so may be a duplicate for some of you, but I found it interesting... Pretty crazy thing happened. So yesterday of the batch of C. americanus I caught, and 3 died from formic acid self-poisoning. I let one go, but then an hour later thought I found it again, this time alive de-alated and the original body was gone. So I kept 2 of the ones that were dying from self induced formic acid in the test tube. I rinsed them with water, and put them into plastic bags with more volume then a test to so contained, but could "air out". As of last night, one had recovered, other was legs curled after several hours and no signs of life. This am I heard a noise, and one of the cats was attacking the plastic bag, and the queen was back to normal. I have not observed such a thing before. I did have a C. pennsylvanicus spontaneously die yesterday too, no formic acid odor, still dead this am.

[Antcatcherpro3]

I'm excited for the summer, maybe, just maybe I'll get some pheiolde..

[ANTdrew]

We've had a colder than average spring, and I haven't seen a big Camponotus flight yet here in Virginia. I'm worried I missed it somehow. We're finally getting back to the 80s this week, so I hope find at least a few. C. castaneus have definitely not flown yet.

[Antcatcherpro3]

In MA we only had a small flight of Nearcticus.

[Chickalo]

I'm looking for casteneus and pennsylvanicus later today, mainly castaneus.  Maybe americanus too.

[Antcatcherpro3]

Ok, I might look for some Camponotus tonight too but idk if I'll find any. I really want a Camponotus pennsylvanicus queen cause they are a cool species. I have seen at least 3 camponotus colonies and queens in my yard lest year but didn't keep them.

[Chickalo]

Speaking of pennsylvanicus, I found a queen!

I also found some Crematogasters under rocks that I already flipped, with lots of brood.  Sadly, no alate brood.  On the topic of alates, Termites had some, so if you keep termites up here be prepared!

[Antcatcherpro3]

NO WAY I'M SO JEALOUS... I really want to find a queen too.

[akaant]

C americanus, C nearcticus and C chromaiodes flew on 5/19.

[Antcatcherpro3]

omg, the camponotus here only like to fly in a month of so, I can't wait that long...

[ConcordAntman]

C americanus, C nearcticus and C chromaiodes flew on 5/19.

Dude, solid work

[ConcordAntman]

Some bad news. My P. impairs is still eggless, but what’s worse is my year old C. novaeboracensis queen’s last nanitic from 2020 died. Last week I watched her eclose the first pupa of this season but it was dead. She has a clutch of eggs and some larvae but I’m concerned. She’s active and seems to be foraging so I’ve been giving her a bit extra food (crickets and apple). I hope she can survive until some of her larvae pupate and eclose. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do with the P. impairs queen?

[Chickalo]

Some bad news. My P. impairs is still eggless, but what’s worse is my year old C. novaeboracensis queen’s last nanitic from 2020 died. Last week I watched her eclose the first pupa of this season but it was dead. She has a clutch of eggs and some larvae but I’m concerned. She’s active and seems to be foraging so I’ve been giving her a bit extra food (crickets and apple). I hope she can survive until some of her larvae pupate and eclose. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do with the P. impairs queen?

iirc, Prenolepis can take a very, very long time to lay eggs.  I believe Mack from TarheelAnts had luck with a couple year old queens after putting them with a bunch of other.  

[ANTdrew]

You could give her some more time, but at a certain point, I'd assume she never mated.

[Chickalo]

One of the queens I saw fly and land on my face then onto a road sign, so I assume she mated.  Another I found under a rock and later shed one wing, so I think she's also mated.  But that's not always a sign of of fertility.

 

Also almost 100th Page! POGGERS!

Edited by Chickalo, May 21 2021 - 4:58 AM.

[Antcatcherpro3]

 

Some bad news. My P. impairs is still eggless, but what’s worse is my year old C. novaeboracensis queen’s last nanitic from 2020 died. Last week I watched her eclose the first pupa of this season but it was dead. She has a clutch of eggs and some larvae but I’m concerned. She’s active and seems to be foraging so I’ve been giving her a bit extra food (crickets and apple). I hope she can survive until some of her larvae pupate and eclose. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do with the P. impairs queen?

iirc, Prenolepis can take a very, very long time to lay eggs.  I believe Mack from TarheelAnts had luck with a couple year old queens after putting them with a bunch of other.  

 

Well I can't say the same for my Preno queen, she has 12 pupae.