8 replies to this topic

[soulsynapse]

What do research papers say? I know that I read somewhere that RIFAs have optimal growth at 89f, what about camponotus? Or harvester, atta, etc

 

I'm keeping all the species listed in my signature @ exactly 87f, is this too high?

Edited by soulsynapse, April 6 2017 - 2:57 PM.

[drtrmiller]

The ambient temperature you described sounds a bit too high.

You should provide a range of temperatures so the ants may choose the most preferred option. In addition to an incubator, to keep ambient temperature stable, consider using a heating cable to provide local heat to a small area of a test tube or formicarium.

Heating cables: http://amzn.to/2niqZLT

[Works4TheGood]

I try to keep my ants at 81. But, different species have different optimal temperatures. What drtmiller said is best; to have a gradient.

[Nathant2131]

I just wonder what the maximum temperature is for temperate ants before they start overheating (though I could imagine this depends on the sp.). Maybe 80 or high 70's?

[soulsynapse]

tl;dr: as others have said, a gradient is best.

 

Effects of temperature on argentine ants:

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC3383432/

 

18c/64f is the lowest possible for argentine ants to make it to adulthood. It'll typically take 6 months and they'll have ~1.7% survival rate.

 

32c/89.6f is the highest where 0 eggs turn into larvae

 

 

Total developmental times of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, from egg to adult worker.

 

 

 

Effect of temperature on brood survival from egg to adult form in the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile.

 

 

 

Effect of temperature on the survival of each of the immature stages of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile.

 

Duration of the egg stage of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, at different temperatures.

 

 

 

Duration of the pupal stage of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, at different temperatures.

 

 

[Vendayn]

Well, I'm not sure about other ants. But, I lowered my Acromyrmex versicolor colony temperature from 78-80 to 73-75 and that pretty much "fixed" my colony. That was the temperature I was keeping the closet in that they are in (with the door closed of course). Before, the fungus was turning slightly brown, very little actual white and a lot of the fungus was dying off. I thought my colony was just going to die off. Now a few days later, the fungus is VERY white (almost bright to look at), has grown a TON (in just a short time period). Almost all the fungus has already grown back, it has grown that fast.

 

I know some people here kept their colonies at close to 80 or more, but even 78-80 was too hot for my colony of Acromyrmex. The ants liked it, since they grew REALLY fast in colony size, in a short time period (then slowed down again when the fungus died off a lot), but the fungus definitely did not like that temperature.

Edited by Vendayn, April 6 2017 - 5:48 PM.

[Vanko]

23-26 is perfect for my ants

[Nathant2131]

I try to keep my ants at 81. But, different species have different optimal temperatures. What drtmiller said is best; to have a gradient.

What species are you keeping at 81? How is is working for you?

[Works4TheGood]

Hi Nathan,

 

Last year, I kept everything I've got in a 30 gallon incubator setup (http://www.formicult...e-new-colonies/).  I wanted everything to be at 27C, but in practice, it was more of a gradient from 25-27C (77-81F).   These are the species I kept:

 

S. molesta,

C. cerasi,

T. caespitum,

A. fulva,

L. neoniger,

L. nearcticus.

 

Some of the colonies have gotten quite large this way in under a year's time.  This method worked great for small colonies (a few hundred or so), but now many of the colonies need something better.

Edited by Works4TheGood, April 8 2017 - 6:43 PM.