58 replies to this topic

[T.C.]

In the midle of July I caught around 20 Tetramorium caespitum queens. I put around 10ish, of them all together. Today they got their first Nanitics so I figured it was time to document the upcoming results.

The bad pictures can be blamed on the tube. I can barely see through it with a naked aye. However better quality will come when I put the girls in their new nest.

Lots of eggs, and larva in these photos. So far so well.

[Antking117]

You are going to run out of water fast, very cool though.

[T.C.]

You are going to run out of water fast, very cool though.

There being moved into a nest in a week or so.

[T.C.]

Update:

Moved them into a new nest 2 weeks ago. Around 50ish, workers, lots of brood and healthy queens. No signs of aggression yet.

Pictures coming....

[Antking117]

PICTURES NOW! No aggression yet!? Maybe i should try this next year, what nest did you put it in?

[ctantkeeper]

PICTURES NOW! No aggression yet!? Maybe i should try this next year, what nest did you put it in?

before you do, PLEASE do some research on pleometrophic founding. This is not the same as polygyne founding. Both can have their benefits, but pleometrophic founding can only be successfully accomplished in captivity by removing all but one queen once the number of queens approaches 3-4 (I have a colony that is less than a year old and is approx. 360 strong!!! It was raised through pleometrophic founding). If queens begin to fight upon introduction, they should be separated, put in the same test tube setup again and placed in the refrigerator for 5-7 minutes. It is important to make sure they are touching while doing so. This will allow for the exchange of cuticular hydrocarbons (specifically those responsible for determining colony affiliation). Once the queens become mobile after being pulled out of the refrigerator, they should theoretically treat each over as members of the same colony. If antagonistic behavior continues, repeat the task. This may take several trials before acquiring the desired results. Hope this helps!

Edited by ctantkeeper, August 26 2017 - 8:01 AM.

[Antking117]

 

PICTURES NOW! No aggression yet!? Maybe i should try this next year, what nest did you put it in?

before you do, PLEASE do some research on pleometrophic founding. This is not the same as polygyne founding. Both can have their benefits, but pleometrophic founding can only be successfully accomplished in captivity by removing all but one queen once the number of queens approaches 3-4 (I have a colony that is less than a year old and is approx. 360 strong!!! It was raised through pleometrophic founding). If queens begin to fight upon introduction, they should be separated, put in the same test tube setup again and placed in the refrigerator for 5-7 minutes. It is important to make sure they are touching while doing so. This will allow for the exchange of cuticular hydrocarbons (specifically those responsible for determining colony affiliation). Once the queens become mobile after being pulled out of the refrigerator, they should theoretically treat each over as members of the same colony. If antagonistic behavior continues, repeat the task. This may take several trials before acquiring the desired results. Hope this helps!

 

I have read a bit on it, this information shall be usefull though! Thank you!

[Mdrogun]

 

PICTURES NOW! No aggression yet!? Maybe i should try this next year, what nest did you put it in?

before you do, PLEASE do some research on pleometrophic founding. This is not the same as polygyne founding. Both can have their benefits, but pleometrophic founding can only be successfully accomplished in captivity by removing all but one queen once the number of queens approaches 3-4 

it's pleometrotic, not pleometrophic. 

 

This is simply false. I caught around 50 Tetramorium queens this year myself. I currently have a 60 worker colony from a 10 queen founding group. None of the queens were removed, I just let things run their course. There is a small chance that the remaining queen will be injured, or will die from her injuries, but that's just a risk you face with pleometrotic founding.

[Antking117]

 

 

PICTURES NOW! No aggression yet!? Maybe i should try this next year, what nest did you put it in?

before you do, PLEASE do some research on pleometrophic founding. This is not the same as polygyne founding. Both can have their benefits, but pleometrophic founding can only be successfully accomplished in captivity by removing all but one queen once the number of queens approaches 3-4 

it's pleometrotic, not pleometrophic. 

 

This is simply false. I caught around 50 Tetramorium queens this year myself. I currently have a 60 worker colony from a 10 queen founding group. None of the queens were removed, I just let things run their course. There is a small chance that the remaining queen will be injured, or will die from her injuries, but that's just a risk you face with pleometrotic founding.

 

This is what i heard xD

Edited by antking117, August 26 2017 - 10:53 PM.

[ctantkeeper]

 

 

PICTURES NOW! No aggression yet!? Maybe i should try this next year, what nest did you put it in?

before you do, PLEASE do some research on pleometrophic founding. This is not the same as polygyne founding. Both can have their benefits, but pleometrophic founding can only be successfully accomplished in captivity by removing all but one queen once the number of queens approaches 3-4 (I have a colony that is less than a year old and is approx. 360 strong!!! It was raised through pleometrophic founding). If queens begin to fight upon introduction, they should be separated, put in the same test tube setup again and placed in the refrigerator for 5-7 minutes. It is important to make sure they are touching while doing so. This will allow for the exchange of cuticular hydrocarbons (specifically those responsible for determining colony affiliation). Once the queens become mobile after being pulled out of the refrigerator, they should theoretically treat each over as members of the same colony. If antagonistic behavior continues, repeat the task. This may take several trials before acquiring the desired results. Hope this helps!

 

I have read a bit on it, this information shall be usefull though! Thank you!

 

No prob, glad to be of help .

[Nathant2131]

This might be helpful: http://www.formicult...me +tetramorium

[ctantkeeper]

 

 

 

PICTURES NOW! No aggression yet!? Maybe i should try this next year, what nest did you put it in?

before you do, PLEASE do some research on pleometrophic founding. This is not the same as polygyne founding. Both can have their benefits, but pleometrophic founding can only be successfully accomplished in captivity by removing all but one queen once the number of queens approaches 3-4 

it's pleometrotic, not pleometrophic. 

 

This is simply false. I caught around 50 Tetramorium queens this year myself. I currently have a 60 worker colony from a 10 queen founding group. None of the queens were removed, I just let things run their course. There is a small chance that the remaining queen will be injured, or will die from her injuries, but that's just a risk you face with pleometrotic founding.

 

This is what i heard xD

 

ok, ouch. Let me explain myself. Yes, you technically can not interfere and still produce a colony through pleometrotic founding with one remaining queen (without injuries), but the odds are stacked against you. In all trials where I simply "let things run their course", I was left with either all queens killing one another in the end or one heavily-injured queen remaining. I should have not said in my previous post that my way was the only way to achieve a healthy colony through pleometrotic founding, but rather that my way would grant you a higher chance of being left with a healthy, uninjured queen. You can take my advice or ignore it. I have been keeping ants for the past five and a half years now, not that this means much, considering that I am picking up all sorts of new information on a regular basis through the literature I read as well as the community here on formiculture. I have tried and tested what I have shared with you and refuse to say that it is "simply false".  

[ctantkeeper]

 

 

 

 

PICTURES NOW! No aggression yet!? Maybe i should try this next year, what nest did you put it in?

before you do, PLEASE do some research on pleometrophic founding. This is not the same as polygyne founding. Both can have their benefits, but pleometrophic founding can only be successfully accomplished in captivity by removing all but one queen once the number of queens approaches 3-4 

it's pleometrotic, not pleometrophic. 

 

This is simply false. I caught around 50 Tetramorium queens this year myself. I currently have a 60 worker colony from a 10 queen founding group. None of the queens were removed, I just let things run their course. There is a small chance that the remaining queen will be injured, or will die from her injuries, but that's just a risk you face with pleometrotic founding.

 

This is what i heard xD

 

ok, ouch. Let me explain myself. Yes, you technically can not interfere and still produce a colony through pleometrotic founding with one remaining queen (without injuries), but the odds are stacked against you. In all trials where I simply "let things run their course", I was left with either all queens killing one another in the end or one heavily-injured queen remaining. I should have not said in my previous post that my way was the only way to achieve a healthy colony through pleometrotic founding, but rather that my way would grant you a higher chance of being left with a healthy, uninjured queen. You can take my advice or ignore it. I have been keeping ants for the past five and a half years now, not that this means much, considering that I am picking up all sorts of new information on a regular basis through the literature I read as well as the community here on formiculture. I have tried and tested what I have shared with you and refuse to say that it is "simply false".  

 

Also, how can you possibly tell me that I am wrong when you have not even witnessed the outcome of your little experiment. Who is to say that you wouldn't be better off doing what I have done. Why even risk having all of your queens die in the first place? Why not simply do what I have done in order to increase your chances of not harming the last remaining queen?

Edited by ctantkeeper, August 27 2017 - 7:26 AM.

[Antking117]

 

 

 

it's pleometrotic, not pleometrophic. 

 

 

before you do, PLEASE do some research on pleometrophic founding. This is not the same as polygyne founding. Both can have their benefits, but pleometrophic founding can only be successfully accomplished in captivity by removing all but one queen once the number of queens approaches 3-4 

 

This is simply false. I caught around 50 Tetramorium queens this year myself. I currently have a 60 worker colony from a 10 queen founding group. None of the queens were removed, I just let things run their course. There is a small chance that the remaining queen will be injured, or will die from her injuries, but that's just a risk you face with pleometrotic founding.

 

This is what i heard xD

 

ok, ouch. Let me explain myself. Yes, you technically can not interfere and still produce a colony through pleometrotic founding with one remaining queen (without injuries), but the odds are stacked against you. In all trials where I simply "let things run their course", I was left with either all queens killing one another in the end or one heavily-injured queen remaining. I should have not said in my previous post that my way was the only way to achieve a healthy colony through pleometrotic founding, but rather that my way would grant you a higher chance of being left with a healthy, uninjured queen. You can take my advice or ignore it. I have been keeping ants for the past five and a half years now, not that this means much, considering that I am picking up all sorts of new information on a regular basis through the literature I read as well as the community here on formiculture. I have tried and tested what I have shared with you and refuse to say that it is "simply false".  

 

Also, how can you possibly tell me that I am wrong when you have not even witnessed the outcome of your little experiment. Who is to say that you wouldn't be better off doing what I have done. Why even risk having all of your queens die in the first place? Why not simply do what I have done in order to increase your chances of not harming the last remaining queen?

 

Tetramorium are entirely very abundant. I am sure i can try many different ways.

[ctantkeeper]

 

 

 

 

it's pleometrotic, not pleometrophic. 

 

 

before you do, PLEASE do some research on pleometrophic founding. This is not the same as polygyne founding. Both can have their benefits, but pleometrophic founding can only be successfully accomplished in captivity by removing all but one queen once the number of queens approaches 3-4 

 

This is simply false. I caught around 50 Tetramorium queens this year myself. I currently have a 60 worker colony from a 10 queen founding group. None of the queens were removed, I just let things run their course. There is a small chance that the remaining queen will be injured, or will die from her injuries, but that's just a risk you face with pleometrotic founding.

 

This is what i heard xD

 

ok, ouch. Let me explain myself. Yes, you technically can not interfere and still produce a colony through pleometrotic founding with one remaining queen (without injuries), but the odds are stacked against you. In all trials where I simply "let things run their course", I was left with either all queens killing one another in the end or one heavily-injured queen remaining. I should have not said in my previous post that my way was the only way to achieve a healthy colony through pleometrotic founding, but rather that my way would grant you a higher chance of being left with a healthy, uninjured queen. You can take my advice or ignore it. I have been keeping ants for the past five and a half years now, not that this means much, considering that I am picking up all sorts of new information on a regular basis through the literature I read as well as the community here on formiculture. I have tried and tested what I have shared with you and refuse to say that it is "simply false".  

 

Also, how can you possibly tell me that I am wrong when you have not even witnessed the outcome of your little experiment. Who is to say that you wouldn't be better off doing what I have done. Why even risk having all of your queens die in the first place? Why not simply do what I have done in order to increase your chances of not harming the last remaining queen?

 

Tetramorium are entirely very abundant. I am sure i can try many different ways.

 

Listen, I'm just sharing with you what I have learned. It is probably not the only way of successfully introducing queens and raising pleometrotic colonies. However, I don't see anyone coming up with any alternative ideas, just critiquing mine. Like I said, I have done my research on this and I stand by it. If you read my original post, you might even learn something.

[AntsMaryland]

I agree with ctantkeeper on this one. Even though Tetramorium queens are very abundant. When going through the process naturally, the colony you decide to keep afterwards might be injured and you might not be able to tell. So you would end up raising an injured queen which would end in a shorter life span of the colony. Just be safer and listen to ctantkeeper. He has better research, better support, superior logic, and safer. Best Regards to All! 

 

 

-AntsMaryland 

Edited by AntsMaryland, August 28 2017 - 5:34 AM.

[T.C.]

Update: just checked on the colony to find a queen slaughtered in the outworld. Limbs missing and laying on its back. They were dragging out a second covered in many workers.

I will do a picture update on these posts. Just got to find time.

[Cameron C. Thomas]

This might be helpful: http://www.formicult...me +tetramorium

 

It was cool to see how it played out for you, though.

 

Update: just checked on the colony to find a queen slaughtered in the outworld. Limbs missing and laying on its back. They were dragging out a second covered in many workers.

I will do a picture update on these posts. Just got to find time.

 

Seems like you may be headed the way of Nathant; best of luck to your winning queen.

[Nathant2131]

Yup, so far it's just like mine. Unfortunately my winning queen never survived her injuries, hope that isn't the same for you.

One thing I also realized (at least when there were 3-4 queens remaining in my colony, as it seemed most of the slaughtered queens were killed when I was on vacation so I could not observe their battles) that when they fight, it's nothing intense or fast paced. They kind of just drag each other around and bite really slowly. When the dying/injured queens are dragged to the trash pile, they often try to crawl their way back to the colony like they have a chance.

Edited by Nathant2131, August 30 2017 - 4:20 AM.

[ctantkeeper]

I agree with ctantkeeper on this one. Even though Tetramorium queens are very abundant. When going through the process naturally, the colony you decide to keep afterwards might be injured and you might not be able to tell. So you would end up raising an injured queen which would end in a shorter life span of the colony. Just be safer and listen to ctantkeeper. He has better research, better support, superior logic, and safer. Best Regards to All! 

 

 

-AntsMaryland 

Thanks man! At the end of the day, I'm just trying to pass down what I know so that I can help people. I am all for further discussion on something like this as long as the points being made are well sound and in the realm of logic. I wish all of you the best of luck with your own Tetramorium sp.e colonies!

Edited by ctantkeeper, August 30 2017 - 4:56 AM.