32 replies to this topic

[Mathiacus]

Continuing from my somewhat disjointed thread that ended up focusing on these girls.

After the debacle that arose from providing them a few handfuls of sand to play with I have switched to a clean outworld (clean for now) I have a test tube with water, cotton then sand with a stopper with a small hole in it. A second tube with just water and cotton and then two more tubes with soaked sand only. They can fool around digging all they like until I finish their new upright nest
This beauty is 2 feet long(tall) by 15 inches wide. It leans back at an angle of around 22 degrees. The space between the panes is 9mm. The wood for the spacers is tasmanian oak and the "clamps" that hold it all together are pine.
This one will not be held together with adhesive. The four bolts should hold it and I will add tape if I have to.
I plan on filling it most of the way and then setting it inline between the current nest and the outworld. They can use it if they want to but are not forced.
I know this will not be the final setup for them, it is just another step along the road. I am desperately trying to avoid providing them a nest where i can not observe them. But if that is what it takes to keep them healthy and settled I will just have to forget my wishes and give them what is best for them.
If they do end up buried in the bottom of a sealed (except moisture and ventilation) bucket I can always have my fun by providing them interesting (for me) outworlds and long complex paths to follow. I am hoping for a population of at least 20k from these girls so the foraging behavior will be interesting to observe at least.

[dspdrew]

Nice. 9 mm I think is a pretty good sized space between the panes.

[Mathiacus]

The wood must have expanded while I was away. One of the glass panes cracked. I am glad I did a dry run of this design first.
I have since modified it to have cloth tape holding it together. My sin has a nice little colony of spiny dolly ants in his. I am going to put golden tailed spiny ants in my daughter's one.

[Gregory2455]

Is that all just larvae?!

[Mathiacus]

;-) yup. I really should update pics.. they are blue now.

[Gregory2455]

Byformica strikes again?

[Mathiacus]

Blue food dye in the sugar water.

[Gregory2455]

Oh... I should do that, but I actually use Byformica soooo.

[dspdrew]

That is a lot of larvae.

[Mathiacus]

That is only a portion. There are piles upon mounds upon heaps in there. . . And then some.

[Gregory2455]

This is the most prolific species I have ever seen. Even though there are 6 queens producing.

[Mathiacus]

5** there was a lot when I collected them but they all seem to be little egg factories. The info twlls me that a colony can reach 20k workers. With 5 queens I am hoping to see 100k.

[Gregory2455]

You probably will, and you will be seeing entire chickens reduced to dust in your out world. How large are the workers?

[Mathiacus]

I think 4mm?

[Gregory2455]

That is not too big. I expected them to be like Pogonomyrmex size. Imagine a 100k population of Pogonomyrmex!!!

[Mathiacus]

Or 100k of myrmecia! !!

[Gregory2455]

The world would end.

[Mathiacus]

My marriage would first. :-s

[Gregory2455]

rofl

[Mathiacus]

I have just been chucking food and sugar water in with these guys for the past few weeks, barely looking at them. I decided to pull them out and have a good look yesterday. They have exploded! I think it is time for a new nest.

This pleases me. Making nests is one of my favourite parts of this hobby. 😄.