35 replies to this topic

[Jonathan21700]

It could have been taken from the wild with a bunch of workers already.

Edited by Jonathan21700, May 8 2018 - 9:09 AM.

[T.C.]

It could have been taken from the wild with a bunch of workers already.

Still started with a queen.

 

But yeah, personally my wild caught colonies never got huge in comparison with the ones I started with just the queen.

[Canadian anter]

 

It could have been taken from the wild with a bunch of workers already.

Still started with a queen.

 

But yeah, personally my wild caught colonies never got huge in comparison with the ones I started with just the queen.

 

I've had colonies of Myrmica rubra that were wild caught at around 200 workers and still got to their thousands.

[Barristan]

Nice! How was this colony started?

 
They found colonies claustral and collectors mainly from China also collect only queens since they are very common there and fly in huge swarms. But when I received the colony from an ant keeper who quit the hobby the colony already had 100 or so workers.
 
That's how the colony looked like around 1 month after I received it. When I received it there weren't any pupae only larave:  https://sway.com/EGy...f=Link&loc=play

 

Edited by Barristan, May 8 2018 - 10:01 AM.

[Jonathan21700]

Nice ! Proper keeping gives results !

Edited by Jonathan21700, May 8 2018 - 10:13 AM.

[Barristan]

As a good animal keeper, I gladly share the food with my protégés.

 

So today there were fish fingers (for the ants raw, roasted for me):

 

 

[CoolColJ]

Your Camponotus suprise me in what they like to eat

 

I don't think any of mine would touch that, apart from my Pheidole, and Iridomyrmex

[Barristan]

So you haven't tried raw fish or meat yet? Just try and find out

Edited by Barristan, May 25 2018 - 4:43 AM.

[CoolColJ]

So you haven't tried raw fish or meat yet? Just try and find out

 

Nope. I have plenty of small mealworms and live Wood roaches right now, so I haven't thought about it

My ants love wood roaches, and they last a few days of chewing

[Barristan]

The 60x20cm AAC nest of my Camponotus nicobarensis colony is getting more filled with every day while the concrete nest is getting emptier instead. They seem to prefer a slightly moist nest over a completely dry one.

 

 

The Heat Wave of the last few days seemed to be very good to the ants. As you can see, huge amounts of eggs and small larvae are present.

 

 

 

[CoolColJ]

big colony, how many years now?

[Barristan]

When I received the colony in January last year December 2016 from an ant keeper who quit the hobby it fit into a single test tube.

So they grow quite fast

That was the first video I made of the colony:

 

Edited by Barristan, June 1 2018 - 12:31 AM.

[CoolColJ]

crazy growth rate for a Camponotus especially....

[Barristan]

Yes it is. But most tropical Camponotus grow quite fast especially if they are not so huge. And as you know they only get the best protein food available

[CoolColJ]

Although I think most ants need a threshold of workers before they really start to grow fast.

Kinda like having good brakes on a car before adding more power to the engine

[Barristan]

It is a matter of the heart to share the time-lapse video I recorded of the heartily feast too.