157 replies to this topic

[anttics]

I will be getting a novo colony this weekend. I have an improve version of the set up I had them in. I hope it works better time will tell.

[anttics]

I got my novomessor colony this last weekend. It has 6 workers and some brood. I have then in a different set up. Much simple. Here are some pics


The brood. With a timy egg ball stuck to one.


The water reservoir


The whole set up.

Edited by anttics, June 5 2018 - 8:39 AM.

[anttics]

Little update untill next week. I'm gonna visit my brother. I plan on stealing a few pupae from his novo colony. He has like 50 pupa. As revenge for breaking his word. I plan to put them in a test tube just in case they need some humidity. Which I doubt.

[YsTheAnt]

Don't do it man, you are harming innocent larvae .

Get revenge without catching these ants in the crossfire!

[anttics]

I'm sad to say the first worker to wake up. Its deformed. She can not even stand on her own. I left her there to see what the colony does. Will they let her die or will they feed her. Ill report how she does. There is also a pupa that its not fylly form, and its getting darker. I expect the same outcome. The only good news is. there is a pupa who looks in good shape. Who knows why this happen. They had been kept in then same set up, since she found her colony. Here are some pics of her.





The queen ate a good amount of cricket. She has not laid any eggs, since i got her last week. I expect some eggs, since she engorge her self. Lets hope this colomy is as super as the one my bro has.

[anttics]

I checked the colony today. I saw another larva who will come out deformed. Its darkening, and it still has no legs. Check the pic 2 fail laravas due to dry test tube they came in. There is a healthy pupae under the queen. it is yonger, and it has legs already.



If you see there are no eggs. I did not check the test tube in the out world. I hope they have them there. Here is a pic. they only use 2 compartments.



Ill check today and update next week.

Edited by anttics, June 12 2018 - 9:29 AM.

[anttics]

Oh well. This queen is not a super egg laying machine like my brothers. Even worst they ate most of her eggs. For some weird reason. There are 2 little larva that will start eating today or tomorrow. So far the colony has 7 workers. The deformed worker died. Due to the fact she could not feed her self.


This is all the brood they have.

Trying to fix the issue. I took the test tube in the outworld. The workers store all their protein there. I never saw the queen go to the tube to eat. So maybe she was starving. since she never went where the food is. Now after taking the tube they have taken their food where the queen kicks it. Hopefully today she fed on it.


As expected the pupa that darken before growing limbs has died. And they have stated eating it.

I hope this fix will help the queen produce more. Or ill have to declare her a failed queen.

[anttics]

Update. Something weird happen. I woke up today. To find 1 ant. Missing a leg, And seems very hurt. I do not know what happen. She seems in the verge of dying. The colony is down to 5 workers once she dies. 1 seems ready to wake up today or tomorrow. The queen finally laid eggs. I counted 8. There are also 3 larva munching right now. So the colony seems stable. after I took the testtube in the out wordl.







Does anybody know if this species have satellite nest?. If not that would explain why they were doing bad with the extra test tube. Which had all the protein. The queen never vistited that testtube. She did not laid eggs due to not eating.

[anttics]

Update. So there has been some kind of fight inside the nest. 1 ant was heavily hurt, and died a day later. after I found her. I also discoverd a ant with a missing leg. I guess she fought too. They seem cool now. 3 larva slowly growing. 1 pupa days from waking. 10 eggs. This colony is slower than I expected, but they are growing steady.

[anttics]

Not much to update. But there are some highlights. I gave this colony a tiny piece of wax worm. The queen ate almost all of it. Here is the egg pile she laid in few days. Wax worm seems to be more nutritive than crickets. There were like 8 eggs before than this egg ball apeared.






Ill say there are 20 to 30 eggs.

Here are a few pica of the pupa and the queens chamber.

[anttics]

The Colony is not doing so well. They munch on all 30 or so eggs. There was a heat wave. I was not here. I think the garage reach 100 degrees. After I notice the eggs look yellowish. So it could be many factors not enough humidity. or the eggs cocked at 100 degrees. All othet colonies were fine. With species that tolerate less heat. So who knows.
Ill change set up and move them to a colder part of the garage. I had them closer to the wall. Ill try to post a video of then eating their eggs.

[anttics]

Wow bad luck. sad to inform. This colony was attack by argentine ants. One worker lost a leg. One pupa was lost. All ants were inside the test tube. exempt for the one that lost her leg. Also 2 pupa were saved. While docens of argentines ate their food. I manage to catch them in time. They killed mayne 100 argentine ants. I was surprised how hardy they are. They are safe now and licking their wounds. They all semm at 100% exempt for the injure one. I hope she makes it. Sad day all colonies were attacked.

[KBant]

the THA fortress nests are good against argentines because i know pharaoh ants can't even get it.

[anttics]

I left this sunday for a 2 week vacation. All colonies seem fine. So does this colony. There are 10 eggs, 2 pupae. They seem fine after the attack. Unfortunately the queen does not. I fond her every morning for the last 3 days. In the our world. Tying to escape for hours. I think she feels it is not safe.

Some pictures of her. Outside for hours running around.









She started this behavoir days after the attack. I hope she calms. I won't check on them for a while.

[anttics]

Update. Colony went down from 6 to 4 workers. The reproductive pupae have been killed and eaten. There was a bunch of eggs. Most are gone. But there are like 5 tiny larva. And 1 that has grown a bit. Interesting note the queem does not leave the nest anymore. She seems more relax, once both reproductive pupa were killed. Something happened. That cause them to make reproductives. At the same time. She would run away as far from the nest as she can. Now that 2 ants have died, and both reproductive pupae gone. She seems to have reclaim her colony.
This is my theory. There was a fight when i barely got the colony. One ant lots a leg. I believe she lost her colomy to a worker. Who laid eggs which became reproductives. Them that worker died, both pupa were killed. Which cause her to regain confidence, and go back to her colony.

Pics when she was a rogue queen.






Pic of the last reproductive before being eaten.




Pics of half eaten reproductive. And queen back.on her trone


Pics of pupa all gone. And eggs with larva on the too right corner. This is a few days ago. Will post pics of new brood soon.

[anttics]

The queen and 2 workers died. They are all torn to peaces. Only 2 workers left with no larva that I can see. That the end for this journal for now. Untill I get another colony. I wonder what happened. Any one had any ideas.
The queen and 2 workers died. They are all torn to peaces. Only 2 workers left with no larva that I can see. That is the end for this journal for now. Untill I get another colony. I wonder what happened. Any one had any ideas.

[KBant]

Next time emulate what I have done to make this colony explode in growth.

1. Tar Heel fortress- I think they really thrive when they have a sandy texture nest.
2. 2 ByFormica Galileo feeders with water and another with a sugar water mixture / I mix hummingbird nectar, water, sugar and pancake syrup. Warm up and mix .
3. A cricket cut up into tiny pieces that they can carry back into their nest. Every other or every other 2 days.
4. A heating cable that is always up against the face of the nest, held up by aluminum foil that also covers up the nesting area.

I will probably have 70-80 workers minimum by the end of August. Currently almost 40.

[anttics]

I finally got my favorite ants back. I got this colony from Drew. In his starter formicarium. this colony is more light red than usual. There are 3 nanitics
And 4 nanitics pupa. And a docen of eggs. I hope to get the larger workers. With the next generation.
I do like how red they look. The queen has faded yellow spots on her gaster. It looks cool in my opinion. Drew regreted selling me this rare novos. Lol sorry Drew.


Here thet are eateing a sun flower seed. I also gave them an apple. The queen and workers munch on it for a while.


I also gave them a cut cricket. The queen and workers ate half of it. These girls were hungry.

Edited by anttics, September 9 2018 - 10:06 AM.

[anttics]

Update. The colony seems healthy. The queen is a fat [censored]. I always find her eating something.yhe workers are maturing quikly.

Here is a picture from yesterday.


Today's pic. They have lots of trash. I want to disturbe them only when I feed then. Every 3 days


Here a close one. I take the pictures. as soon as I take their cover. Then cover it back asap. They do not realise I took them. Lol. 1 nanitic more has woken. 4 ants in total. Tomorrow the 5th one will wake up tomorrow.

[anttics]

Update. This colony is doing great. The queen is a great mom. She even breaks crikets into pieces for the larva to eat safely. Something previous colonies never did. Many larva would die stuck on their food.


I'm happy with this queen. Very fast, lays eggs all the time. Eats too much. Takes cares even of her workers. By crushing down seeds.


Laying some eggs


This pic is from today. There are 3 almost develop brood. 4 large larva still eating. And maybe 20 eggs, and another 4 larva that just hatch.