81 replies to this topic

[drtrmiller]

Interestingly, the Lasius workers are a tad bigger than the Solenopsis nanitics, and I occasionally see the Lasius workers scout the Solenopsis nest, and then the entire Solenopsis colony becomes alarmed, once Lasius is detected.

 

I have not observed any fatal encounters, thus far.  Interesting behaviors include competition over food sources and the barricading of nest entrances.  I'm also interested to see whether the Solenopsis develop super majors earlier, as maybe some kind of stress response to the proximity of the Lasius.

 

Switching the cam to the foraging area would probably be boring, since each colony forages a bit more carefully and decisively than if they had a monopoly over the space.  If I had multiple cameras, computers, and a faster internet connection, it'd be nice to have multiple streams where the user could switch views.  Maybe one day.

[Lamarr]

Very interesting indeed, is the colony shown in Ant Cam the colony that is connected to the Lasius colony?

[drtrmiller]

Yes.

 

It's just difficult to show them at the same time.  Everything would be too small to see any detail as to what's going on.  And really, very little is going on, now that they've defined their nest boundaries and modified foraging behaviors.

[drtrmiller]

The ant cam stopped streaming earlier this morning, and since nobody told me, I had to start a new one.

 

The http://byFormica.com/antcam is the permanent link, however the YouTube.com URL has changed.

 

I'm currently observing Lasius eating from the new batch of Formula Blue, while Solenopsis continue to fortify their nest barricade, just a few mm away.

Edited by drtrmiller, June 24 2015 - 5:45 PM.

[Lamarr]

Yeah, I noticed that it was down this morning too. Do you freeze the cockroach before cutting in half?

[drtrmiller]

No. I culture these roaches in a tank where my biggest Camponotus colony also resides. Freezing is not necessary.

[Lamarr]

I think I'm looking at a what seems to be a remains of butchered Solenopsis queen. Is that correct? https://i.imgur.com/Zv6Yg5e.png

 

Edited by Lamarr, June 25 2015 - 2:41 AM.

[drtrmiller]

They didn't kill it. I put it in there as food after it died in another setup.

[Herdo]

You probably already know but in case you don't, the ant cam is currently offline.

[drtrmiller]

It needed to be reset for some reason. Thanks for letting me know!

Edited by drtrmiller, June 25 2015 - 10:18 PM.

[Herdo]

Hey no problem.  I have really enjoyed watching them.  What species are they by the way?

 

I just caught my first queen yesterday and I am going to be purchasing one of your formicariums assuming I can get a colony of my own started.

[drtrmiller]

They're Solenopsis invicta, the red imported fire ant, a highly invasive species that will probably quickly outgrow most any formicarium they're put in.

[LC3]

Oh. I thought they were pheidole.

[Herdo]

Oh. I thought they were pheidole.

 

Yeah I was asking because the queen looks very similar to the one I recently captured.

[Chall]

Is the stream gone

[drtrmiller]

The ant cam will be back soon. A new, improved website is coming, too.

[iXvXi]

Drtrmiller I have a few questions if you don't mind. (Looking to setup mine next week)

What protocol are you using? RTMP?

Are you using a 3rd party server/host or did you setup your own such as ngix?

Last but not least, how many viewers do you expect? Given your last feeds, what's the typical amount of viewers you had at a given time?

Thanks

[drtrmiller]

When I was running my live cam, it utilized a DSLR, a powerful desktop computer, high speed cable internet, and special software to allow the camera to output to the streaming service.  You can't use the computer for anything else while the stream is running, and many common internet connections will be pushed to the max when streaming HD video.
 
You'll need:

• Canon DSLR ($300+)
• EOS Utility (Canon Software)
• Macro lens and/or extension tubes ($20+)
• Tripod
• Polarizing filter (to remove glare)
• Adjustable lighting
• Desktop PC with fast processor running Windows ($700+) (Again—I can not emphasize this enough—you will not be able to use this PC for anything but streaming)
• Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder
• ManyCam
• Fast cable or fiber optic internet service with a minimum 5 Mbps sustained upload speed 
• 1080p or higher computer monitor

Computer Notes: Besides the camera, the biggest thing is the computer.  You will need a fast 4-8 core processor to be able to handle all the software that is running simultaneously.  I don't think graphic card, RAM, or hard disk are too terribly important, as long as they're not terrible.  I recommend having a Passmark Score of over 3,000.  
 
Also, because you're broadcasting a part of your desktop screen, the higher the resolution of your computer monitor, the larger you'll be able to resize the EOS live view window, so as to make the video sharper.
 
 
 
Basic Steps:

 

• Install EOS Utility and hook up camera, engage Live View
• Position your camera on the tripod, use lenses to focus on ants
• Adjust lighting and camera settings (ISO, shutter, aperture) so it looks perfect on your desktop computer monitor
• Install ManyCam and create a virtual webcam, using the Live View on your desktop screen as the source
• Install and configure Adobe encoder software with YouTube live stream
• Monitor for problems

This is NOT an exhaustive list of steps.  I do not recommend anyone attempt what I did.  The actual steps are highly technical to be able to get a crystal clear stream like I had for the months I ran it.

 

Edited by drtrmiller, February 1 2016 - 4:06 PM.

[iXvXi]

Must have missed "Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder" the first time. Sorry about that.

[drtrmiller]

The live stream is back temporarily. Not much to see, but I do have a new lid for the GroTube which allows me to keep the nest in direct sunlight without frying or otherwise disturbing the ants.  I can even peek inside without removing it.  More details on the lid in another post very soon.

 

Edited by drtrmiller, March 3 2016 - 10:06 AM.