161 replies to this topic

[Jadeninja9]

I'm copying and pasting this journal from the AntsCanada forums. 

July 3, 2017

 

So I've decided that I'm going to start a journal to document the progress of my Camponotus hyatti colony and how to care for them since no one else on the entire internet, from what I could find, has before. 

They should be kept in 80-85 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. 
They eat mealworms, fruit flies, dead mosquitos, small moths, and maybe spiders, as their protein food source.
For their sugar source, they can consume small drops of honey, sugar water, honey water, and byFormica SUNBURST AntNectar(Haven't tried it but that what the GAN Farmer used). 
Their nest should be completely dry and they should get their water from a test tube in the outworld when they're out of the test tube setup stage. 

Here's my colony:

Not the best picture I know lol.
This is my first colony. I got them from a GAN farmer in West Sacramento on June 24th.They had 5 workers when I purchased them, now they have 6. I started out feeding them small frozen moths, with the head separated, and the body cut in half and small drops of honey. I used a bug zapper to obtain the moths. Since I'm 15 and my parents are separated, I have to stay at my mom's one week then my dad's the next. I keep them at my mom's and on the last day, I just feed them a week's worth of food. Last week was the first week I was gone from them. I gave them two large moths and one small moth. When I got back today is when I found that I had a new worker. Today I just started feeding them small, live mealworms from PetSmart with the head cut off and the body cut in half. I only give them the body. For sugar, I give them a small cotton ball soaked with honey water on a piece of tin foil so they down get stuck and drown in the honey. I'll do this every day. 

Here's their setup:

I made my own foraging area using a small plastic container and drilled a hole to connect the test tube and a hole on top and plugged it with cotton so they can breathe. I had to surround the point where the test tube and container meet so the ants didn't escape. I put a bit of superglue on a strip of tape, attached the tape to the underside of the container, and glued the test tube to the tape so the test tube wouldn't move. This plastic container will serve as their foraging area until my AC Test Tube Portal arrives. I got a 15watt reptile heat cable from Amazon by a company called Zoo Med and put it close to the tip of the water portion of the test tube. For the barrier, I covered the upper half of the container and the underside of the lid with vaseline. I don't know if I'm supposed to replace the barrier every few days or not since I saw a worker climb up a little less than half the barrier then turned back. Maybe I'll add a new layer of vaseline tomorrow.
I'm pretty sure this explains everything so far. I'm too tired to go back and spell check lol. I'll have more updates this week.

Edited by Jadeninja9, February 14 2018 - 8:54 AM.

[Jadeninja9]

I don't know how to remove the highlight lol

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (July 6, 2017)
After I fed my colony last night I saw them performing trophallaxis. The thing is, it was going three ways lol. 

I hope I don't get banned for spam

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (July 6, 2017)

 

I just checked and now they have 7 workers.

Update: (July 6, 2017)

 

I was feeding them just moments ago, and I noticed that the entire colony was frozen. I put a piece of toilet paper on the test tube and kept it there for about 20 seconds. I could sorta peek under the toilet paper and could see they were moving again. I removed the toilet paper and they froze up again lol. They were perfectly still too. I guess my colony and/or species plays dead when faced with a threat. I never even knew ants could do that.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (July 17, 2017)

 

So I got back to my colony today and saw that they have 10 workers now. which means 3 workers hatched when I was gone. They have quite a lot of brood now too.




I also moved them into the AC Test Tube Portal I ordered. I had to surround where the test tube and portal meet with cotton and tape since the test tube had a smaller diameter than the opening of the portal entrance. I'll feed them in a bit. 

Update: (July 19, 2017)

 

My 11th worker hatched today

There are 12 workers now. I'm starting to see the polymorphism and differences in coloration between the workers now that this species is known for. I never thought that there was a species of Camponotus that grew so fast. I wonder if all Myrmentoma Camponotus ants grow this fast.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (July 31, 2017)

 

So I got back to my colony today and their 13th worker has hatched. It's a major. 

I also found that a worker had got stuck in jelly so I took her out with a toothpick and she cleaned herself up. 

Here's a worker cleaning her:

They have sooooo many eggs now. 

They also cleaned up the mold by taking the molded cotton and putting it in the Outworld, so that's pretty cool. I might need to move them soon though.

I fed them a drop of strawberry jelly and a mealworm.

Edited by Jadeninja9, February 14 2018 - 9:04 AM.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (July 31, 2017):

 

Here's a better picture of the major

Edited by Jadeninja9, February 14 2018 - 9:07 AM.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (Aug 15, 2017)

 

I've been pretty lazy and haven't felt like updating it lol. I keep counting the number of workers and keep coming up with 12. I know that last week they definitely had 13 workers. There's a spot where the tube connects to this test tube adapter, which connects to tubing that connects to the test tube portal. It's covered up with cotton and tape and I can't see what goes on under there. I sometimes see the major and the queen going to that area and coming back, so I'm hoping there are some new eggs there that they decided to keep separate from the other developed brood and that there are one or two workers tending it out of sight. I think a new worker hatched cause I've never seen it before today. It looks like a tiny major, but slightly bigger than the workers, and has a different coloration than anyone else. I could have 14 workers, or 2 of them escaped somehow, which I don't understand how they could've since there are no openings. The test tube that I purchased them in, which they reside in right now, has mold on the cotton and the water is completely light green. To combat the mold they kept tearing off pieces of molded cotton and placing it in a new tube that I gave them so they could move into. They won't move into the new tube.They used to move into the entrance of the portal, then whenever I fed them they would move it back. After awhile they learned it wasn't a good spot so they are just staying in the middle of their test tube now and placed the brood far away from the mold. At least they have fresh drinking water from their new tube. They keep tearing at the water portion cotton. I find that whenever there is cotton that blocks off something, they always will try to tear at it. It's like their natural behavior or something. Right now they have a ton of brood and well over 10 pupae.They are going to all hatch soon and I'm kinda excited and kinda not cause my mom is moving houses down the street which means I have to take my colony to my dads for a week until she moves and it's just gonna be complicated. So yeah this is pretty much all that happened since the last update.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (Aug 16, 2017)

 

Turns out somehow 2 of my workers escaped. I don't know how it happened. Hopefully it won't affect them much since one worker hatched. They're at 12 workers now.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (Aug 17, 2017)

 

Setup Update: I added a new test tube to their setup about two weeks ago. I did this because their current test tube setup that I bought them in had the cotton mold over and the water is light green. I thought they would move into it but they just cut off pieces of mold from the cotton and put it in the new tube as a trash site lol. Now they use this tube for clean drinking water, their bathroom, and garbage site. Every once in awhile I replace the tube to keep their water clean. 


Now I gave them a new test tube setup today so they could move out. Two weeks ago they kept trying to move into the entrance of their foraging area to get away from the mold. It was too close to where they got fed so they kept moving back into the tube, then after awhile, they move back. This kept repeating until this week. Now they're kinda okay with their spot but I can tell they are avoiding the mold cause they moved the brood away from it. The new setup I'm providing them is a normal setup, except the entrance, is blocked off with cotton with a straw in-between it and the tube. This is so, I'm hoping at least, it makes this new possible home for them more appealing since it's less open and the entrance is smaller. 


This is how their entire setup looks like.

Edited by Jadeninja9, February 15 2018 - 10:47 PM.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (Aug 20, 2017)

 

I tried forcing them to move out last night. I know I should just let them move out when they want, but they don't know how. So they've just been stuck in their moldy setup. There isn't much mold over the cotton actually, because they keep trimming it back like they're some gardeners or something. But their water is light green, and they keep placing mold in the Outworld as a way to dispose of it, and I don't want their mold spreading. So I took a really bright flashlight and put it against the tube. I was hoping that they'd move into their new clean, and enclosed setup. I had it blocked off with cotton and a straw that went through the cotton so they could pass in and out the tube. For the first hour, they were kind of moving around rapidly, they picked up a few pupae, but that was really it. After awhile they started just acting normal like there was no light at all. They were totally unfazed. What worried me was that one worker for some reason decided to eat one of the eggs. I watched it with the egg in its mandibles, then it started chewing it up and swallowed it. It even had a bit of egg left over on its mandible. I don't know why it did that, but that was the only instance in the total 3 hours I had the flashlight up to them. Eventually, the flashlight ran out of battery so I just stopped. I guess if they wanna move out they will, but I doubt they will ever because they will keep on fighting the mold back even though there are still tons of spores in there.

Update: (Aug 20, 2017)

 

My 13th worker hatched. I should really have 15 by now, but somehow two other workers disappeared at the beginning of the week. I think they must have escaped and died. I have around 10 dark pupae so I should have a lot more workers hatching soon.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (Aug 20, 2017)

 

Another one just hatched, making 14

 

Update: (Aug 22, 2017)

 

Another one hatched again, making 15

Edited by Jadeninja9, February 15 2018 - 10:50 PM.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (Aug 23, 2017)

 

Another one, 16

 

Update: (Aug 23, 2017)

 

Anothuh one- DJ Khaled... 17

 

Update: (Aug 24, 2017)

 

I just realized I had 2 majors which is really cool. I'm really starting to see the differences in coloration and size among the workers which is what Camponotus hyatti is known for. It's hard to see their colors on a picture, but in real life they look a lot more colorful.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (Aug 25, 2017)

 

My colony has 18 workers now. They look so cool now because they have so many different sizes. They have tons of colors ranging from a beige kinda color to deep red and everything in between. If I had a better macro lens I could capture it on a photo, but this is all I have for now. It's kinda blurry.

They really remind me of the colors of Fall/Autumn.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (Aug 25, 2017)

 

Wow okay. Now they have 20 workers. And they still have 7 pupae. This is insane for me lol. I didn't think they'd be growing this fast so soon. I only got them June 24, at 5 workers. Now they're all the way at 20. I thought Camponotus species were supposed to grow slowly lol.

Update: (Aug 31, 2017)

 

Now they're at 22 workers. I haven't fed them in almost 2 weeks because I've been busy. Last time I fed them I fed them like 5 mealworms. They were only lasting on their reserves until I fed them today.

Edited by Jadeninja9, February 14 2018 - 9:19 AM.

[Jadeninja9]

Update: (Sep 1, 2017)

 

Ok something really interesting has happened while I was at school today. My colony finally moved out of their old test tube. Well kind of. 2/3rds of the colony has the queen and half the workers and most of the brood in a new setup I gave them yesterday to act as their water drinking source. 


They barely even have any space and are right up against the foraging area so I don't know why they chose this spot compared to the other test tube setup I offered them that is actually sealed off with cotton and a straw and is more private. The other 1/3rd of the colony is in their old setup right at the entrance of the outworld guarding the rest of the brood. I bet you when I feed them they're gonna freak out and realize that this wasn't the best spot to put their brood lol.

Edited by Jadeninja9, February 15 2018 - 10:52 PM.

[YsTheAnt]

Are you going to continue the one on ACAF? If I were you, I would ditch the place, too many people who don't know what their doing, and toxic mods... Only a few people, including you, know what they are doing. But that's just my opinion.

[Jadeninja9]

Are you going to continue the one on ACAF? If I were you, I would ditch the place, too many people who don't know what their doing, and toxic mods... Only a few people, including you, know what they are doing. But that's just my opinion.

Nah I’m still going to go on there. I want to be the number 1 poster and surpass batspiderfish lol. Madvampy is the only mod and he doesn’t say anything though lol

Edited by Jadeninja9, February 14 2018 - 3:10 PM.

[YsTheAnt]

Ehh ok lol. MadVampy got mad at me because I told someone to get rid of his Argentine ant colony because they can cross almost all barriers and can kill all your other ants... But I guess if you are just keeping a journal your fine

[Jadeninja9]

Ehh ok lol. MadVampy got mad at me because I told someone to get rid of his Argentine ant colony because they can cross almost all barriers and can kill all your other ants... But I guess if you are just keeping a journal your fine

Lol