75 replies to this topic

[anttics]

Hello. I had this colony for over a month. I got their set up ready. So I think its time for a journal. Since there is only 2 others for this species. I will post a few pics later. So you get an idea of the set up.


The first week I had them. I made the mistake of having the heat mat on top of the test tube water reservoir. Which drown 4 pupa.


After learning my leason. I left a dry test tube. I'm its place to put the heat mat. This ants need very little moisture. So they are more than happy in the dry test tube. I put a water test tube in the out world. It is close to the exit from the dry tube. The ants modiffied it with dirt, and rocks. Trying to join both test tubes. It was interesting. Next post ill post how they fixed the entrance.


To finish here is a pic from the first major born. It has stripes more darker than the queen. She looks pretty nice. Like a tiger lol

Edited by anttics, June 4 2018 - 9:33 AM.

[anttics]

Well this colonynis doing great. Every day i see new ants they look almost transparent. Here are pics of the set up.






Here you can see. they place rocks around both entrances. They ussually have it closed at day time. They cover more than half the tubes diameter. At night they open up. Thos ants are extremely timid. I rarely see them doing anything.

[anttics]

Well after a month or so of not seen anything from them.i finally got some pics of the getting some sugar water.


I ussually change their sugar water every Sunday. so it does not go bad, and kill the colony.

also have some pics of them eating a cricket. They rarely take them inside their nest. instead, they eat them at the gates



I took this oics around 1am after waking up.

[anttics]

I ch3cked the colony. They have lost of new ants. Many medians, and a smaller major compared to the tigres looking major. Here is a pic of their wet test tube in iut world.





Tigress on the middle. I like how she looks


Here is the dry test tube. Which hangs outside for the heat mat to warm up.
Funny thing i notice. The queen never leaves this dry tube. Like ever.







They are almost at 100 workers. Something that found out. This ants eat very little protein. Yet they get large majors. I guess sugar water helps them grow as well.

[anttics]

This conlony is the only one with a argentine proof nest. They have pass through 2 argentine attacks this year with out any breakins. This colony has reached 200 ants by now. I would be making a nest for them pretty soon. One bigger than the xenomorph colony. To hold a mature fragilis colony with easy.

[anttics]

Big update here. Just made a new nest for the golden colony. They moved at night. I made a video of the move. Its in my channel. The colony is around 200 workers. There are some pupa, and lots of larva, and eggs. Here are some pics



Link to video. I might try to make video journals in the future.



I will take pics of full nest soon. Its bigger than thr one for the xenomorph colony. It has 2 extra bricks. Total of 6 bricks. They are barely using half of 1. They also made a trash pile. But i do not worry much. Since i will never water their nest. So mold will not grow.

[anttics]

Hello. bad news for from this colony. Since I moved them almost 40 workers have died. I'm a 3 week period. It could be either old age. I beleive this colony is more than a year old since fragilis flew already. Or the weird smell the out world had. I changed them back to their previous outworld, but are still inside the k23 block. No more smell. Still I'm gettin 1 to 5 dead almost everyday. Numbers are at 200 since they exploted a few months ago. Larva I expoted only 3 or 4. Eggs they have 2 balls moved by 2 nurses everytime I check on them. Which I have lower to twice a week. The pressense of eggs and a few larva are a good sign. Here are some pics







It would look a bit more pack with extra 40 to 50 workers

[anttics]

I made a little video. I'm a bit worried about this colony. I have deaths every single day for more than a month. I calculate 200 workers are left. There are lots of tiny larva, and eggs. I started giving them an apple, and the numbers per day from 5 to 3 workers per day. Has gone down to 1 to 2 max dead a day. If the apple help. I was miss informed. This species need more than just humingbird nectar to survive. I will start feeding them apples, and maple syrup.

[DaveJay]

I'm sorry to hear you are losing them, I am enjoying this thread.
One thing about apples, in general they are subjected to pesticides at various stages, not to mention the "wax" in the washing water (the reason you're taught to rub them on your pants or shirt), I never feed the skins to my "bugs", just the flesh. I've read reports on residual chemicals (insecticide mostly) in the skin being bad for humans so I don't risk feeding it to the insects.
I've also had mealworms reject unwashed carrots from the same bag they've accepted them from when I've washed and scrubbed them.
We have to be wary of the chemicals found on our fruit and vegetables and take precautions, if the insecticides are enough to impact humans then they won't do insects much good that's for sure! There's not much we can do about systemic pesticides in the flesh but I believe we should wash or peel the skins before feeding our insects, or buy organic if you can afford it.
I hope your problem goes away, keep us updated!

[anttics]

Thanks. it sucks when you are not sure what is killing them. Anyways. I alway peal the skin. I believe. I have found the reason why. They are losing workers. Almost 2 weeks ago. I took their out world. Because it had a weird chemical smell. The same day, I took it outside. after I laid grout as a base. Today, I went to get it. Still has the weird smell. The messed up thing is, my camponotus fragilis Is inside a firebrick cover with this stinky f$%king grout. Here is a pic of the bag. It seems harmless

[DaveJay]

Hmmn, I'm using something with a similar label, I'm assuming unsanded though because it mentions using sanded grout if tiling a swimming pool. It definitely doesn't have a chemical smell though, wet or dry, if yours does it certainly could be the problem, maybe something added as a mould inhibitor? I know lots of people in this forum use grout without a problem, or do they in the long term? I mentioned using grout in the Tarantula Forum and they were very sceptical, it seems I'm the only one willing to risk using it for spiders so I'm doing my own tests, so far so good.

[anttics]

I used grout before with out problem. So I was surprise with this smell. I now have to throw all these nest and change them to new ones. Damn Lowes i should have gone to home depot. I believe some might have leak into it. Maybe blitch. It has a smell I can't identified.

[nurbs]

It's definitely the chemical or smell that is killing them since they started dying after the move. Did you make sure the new home was 100% cured before moving them in? I usually wait at least a week for hydrostone before ants are dropped in. 

 

The bag of grout - has it been sitting outside in the garage? I've used that brand of grout for years and never had an issue. If insect spray or pesticides have been sprayed close to it, the grout will absorb that smell. Ants are very sensitive to these chemical poisons, even in small trace amounts.

[anttics]

Yeah. The grout was the culprid. I do keep it outside. Cover with a plastic bag. I left the nest for a week. The out kidsworld for 2 weeks. At temperature from 90 to 100 degrees so it was cured. It has been contaminated somehow. I guess ill try hudrostone from now on. Any brand you can recomend guys ill appreciate it. The colony is still large. With at leat 100 eggs, and small larva. In a month, and a half. they should have 100 extra workers.

[nurbs]

Curing is not necessarily temperature or heat related. You have to literally let it sit for a week or two, regardless of how hot it is. I'm not a chemist, so someone correct me if wrong, but there is a chemical reaction in cements such as grout and hydrostone that causes crystalization and bonding in the molecules. Hydrostone, for example, will solidify in 30 minutes and in a day it will appear dried, but it is not cured.

[anttics]

Ok. That might be the reason. I thought once its bone dry. It should be 100% cured. I plan to move them. And, I will let it air out until smell is gone.

[anttics]

So this colony has slow down. I think they might be eating the eggs. Since no more larva have pop out in 2 weeks, and eggs are always present. Only 3 small larva that I could spot.
They also have a new behaviour. I never seem them do. for the last week. They have been attaching dirt, on the cut crickets. I had provide.
Any ideas why? My theory is they are trying to save it for later. Ill slow down on my checks in case they are eating their eggs. I check them every 3 days. Ill do it niw every week.

[CoolColJ]

Probably due to colder weather?

[anttics]

They are under 91 Fahrenheit degrees. Like 30 celcious.

[anttics]

Update on this colony. They have 2 balls of eggs. I saw 1 larva. I also saw the queen fed in months. I was afraid she was going into a death diet. Everything change afer I place them in my prototype a week ago. Humidity is around 60% at room temp. at 90 degrees I expect 80%. Still at 90 degrees for 2 months and not a single larva made it. I worried about this colony. I check on them once a week or 2 weeks. I have my finger cross that they recover. 2/3 the colony died in a 2 month period. They are at 100 workers. Most are majors. Most minors did not survive the contaminated grout. =(







They get their water from the red brick. I tried k23 fire brick, but himidity was 100% at room temp. This red brick works better for a desert species.