118 replies to this topic

[KBant]

follow up question can I bring queen ants on the plane from australia/new zealand? what are the rules for bringing ants from another country? I know state lines is a big no-no but another country, I'm not so sure? i wonder if this question has been asked? maybe I should start a separate thread to discuss that? I'm sure this is a new question that nobody has asked before and it definitely deserves a new thread.

[YsTheAnt]

Stay away from it, Australia has similar laws. As far as nutrition goes, feed them two more small crickets and they will be fine. For sugar I would leave a piece of cotton with sugar water, if you are really concerned. They should be a-okay.

Edited by YsTheAnt, March 10 2018 - 8:48 AM.

[Ants4fun]

Stay away from it, Australia has similar laws. As far as nutrition goes, feed them two more small crickets and they will be fine. For sugar I would leave a piece of cotton with sugar water, if you are really concerned. They should be a-okay.

He was most certainly being facetious.

[Jadeninja9]

Stay away from it, Australia has similar laws. As far as nutrition goes, feed them two more small crickets and they will be fine. For sugar I would leave a piece of cotton with sugar water, if you are really concerned. They should be a-okay.

Hahahaha

[anttics]

you can also do a test tube sugar water. careful I never tried it. if it dries it could be too sticky or not.

[antnest8]

i did a test tube of sugar water and it lasts like 1 month or more. plus they can survive of of stored sugar water.

as for protein i would do what YsTheAnt said

[KBant]

queen's gaster getting fat and larvae emerging! (not the huge one, i have two larger larvae from before hibernation, the smaller ones)

 

Edited by KBant, March 14 2018 - 6:04 AM.

[KBant]

More larvae emerge. enjoy. haha its easier to document colony growth when you only have one really active colony. 

 

Here is the queen. love the burgundy legs and yellow hairs on the ever-growing gaster.

 

also around 75-85 eggs/larvae now, and that's a safe estimate. its hard to count the eggs/larvae underneath. 

 

 

a group of larvae separated from the brood pile. probably no reason why they're separated. 

 

 

the brood pile

 

 

close up of brood pile

 

Edited by KBant, March 15 2018 - 3:40 PM.

[antnest8]

so many eggs!

[KBant]

Up close and personal. Look at the larvae under her. Scary how fast these larvae grow!!

Edited by KBant, March 16 2018 - 9:53 PM.

[KBant]

This rate of growth is really not what I imagined. Not sure if this is normal? Again this is my first colony.

 

close up

 

 

 

Look at the size of a 2018 larvae next to 1/2 of the 2017 larvae. Its almost catching up in size.

 

 

 

 

eggs developing

 

Edited by KBant, March 18 2018 - 11:30 AM.

[anttics]

well. you can successfully say. this colony will make it to maturity. unless you mess up big time. lucky you. I love these species. will be my next. how big are their colonies. in the wild?

[KBant]

I recall reading they can get huge, like 50,000+.

http://www.navajonat...otus-modoc.html

Edited by KBant, March 18 2018 - 1:21 PM.

[Apex]

check ur messages!

[KBant]

More brood and First cocoon of the year. I know this is a 2018 larvae that spun a cocoon because the two 2017 larvae are much yellower than and still just chillin.

[Apex]

@KBant check messages!

Edited by Odorous, March 19 2018 - 4:40 PM.

[KBant]

More cocoons, 3 in total. More eggs too and lots of growth! I left a sugar test tube. Will feed them 2 crickets and take them off direct heat.

I’ll be back in two weeks to update.

[T.C.]

I've never seen Camponotus lay that many eggs at one time, unless the colony is of a mature size. That's pretty impressive. Once them eggs hit larvae stage, your gonna have to supply protein galore.

Edited by T.C., March 22 2018 - 9:18 AM.

[KBant]

Got back this morning from my trip and immediately checked my colonies.

When I left I had 13 workers and a ton of brood. Came back 2 weeks later to find 9 lethargic workers and still a nice pile of brood, but probably a little less than what I left with.

5 died, 1 eclosed (it still learning to walk and looks soft) and 1 looks half dead, so my worker count might be 8 soon. The sugar water I left, which was dyed purple, was almost half empty. And the crickets I left were covered in sand and moldy. Anyways here’s a pic of the queen sitting on her pile of brood. As soon as I added heat, the colony moved the brood pile over.

Edited by KBant, April 5 2018 - 4:33 PM.

[KBant]

Brood still looks good but I’ve been losing workers. Came back to 9 on morning of April 5th, now I’m down to 6 workers. When I came home I did see yellow gunk on the 2 week old crickets I left. Perhaps mold is the culprit. Anywho, I changed their nest to an almost identical one. Hoping I don’t lose any more workers!