180 replies to this topic

[Major]

I just opened my ant/ blacklight box now that I’m in NYC.




Pretty messy I know, but no fatalities or injuries. Turns out the Formica laid eggs while they were in the box lol.

[Major]

Quick pic update:

Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Eggs:





Formica Subserica:

Dead queen


Tapinoma Sessile:




Temnothorax Curvispinosus:


Lasius Alenius or Neoniger?


Lasius sp.


Don’t have time for remotely good pics right now, but here’s a few quick crappy ones.

[sirjordanncurtis]

When did the queen die?

[Major]

When did the queen die?

Once I opened the box yesterday she was fine, she was actually the most promising queen, very distended gaster, no injuries, wingless. I put all my colonies on the heating pad, then rechecked on them and she was dead. The heating pad was a bit hotter than usual but none of the other ants were affected. She was still twitching when I found her so I left her in the nest. The nanitics seemed to like to pull at her legs, maybe they killed her?

[Major]

I was “anting today” in NYC and I found this really cool spider called Micranthia Gracilis. No pics but google it, looks really weird since it has a spiky shell thing.

[rbarreto]

I think moving exotic/invasive ants across borders is the only thing people should be concerned with. Don't worry about it Major. I disagree with taking your ants with you not because you are crossing a border, but because you are causing them unnecessary stress. A small colony can go a week without food, especially if you feed them right before you leave. Also why did you take founding queens with you?

[Major]

I think moving exotic/invasive ants across borders is the only thing people should be concerned with. Don't worry about it Major. I disagree with taking your ants with you not because you are crossing a border, but because you are causing them unnecessary stress. A small colony can go a week without food, especially if you feed them right before you leave. Also why did you take founding queens with you?

I also have a buyer who wants to see all my queens and colonies in person. I do t think that they were stressed because they were packaged very securely and some of them actually laid anew batch of eggs during the drive. No eggs were eaten. I didn't realize that if I left them for a week with some food and water that they would be fine. I won't try to pull a "stunt" like this in the future.

[DaveJay]

Once I saw your thread in the sales section it all became clear, selling them before crossing a border anyway.
Sorry to hear about the loss of the Queen though.

[Major]

Yeah, someone in NYC wants to see ALL of my ants so he can choose in person.

I started out with 4, down to 2 queens in the Formica experiment, odds are that there will only be 1 left.

[Major]

Yes! Me and my family put an offer on a house and they accepted it! (After a counter offer which we agreed to.) We just have to sign a few more papers, get an inspection done, all that stuff. Then we are going to be renovating it and hopefully be moving in sometime in November this year. Its near a nature park and some small lakes so I bet that there will be a lot of ant diversity. I can finally get out of my small apartment! I can't wait till I move in! And, I'll actually have a backyard, which means I can blacklight without having to go to other places. Man, this is probably the best thing that's happened to me. Hopefully will find some new queens once I can move in. I can't even express how happy I am!

Edited by Major, August 26 2018 - 9:07 AM.

[sirjordanncurtis]

Neat

[Major]

I will be going back to Rochester today, trip was cut a couple days. I also found a Myrmica sp. queen.

[Kaelwizard]

Something terrible happened

My largest novaeboracensis colony lost 4 workers!! I boiled some sand and then added it to their setup. Then the unexpected happened. They appear to be ingesting it. So that’s how they died. I moved them to a fresh test tube and our world free of sand. They won’t stay in the test tube. They scattered their eggs and brood all over the out world. I’m probably going to release them. I also released my Aphenogaster queen as she hasn’t laid eggs in a week.

the aphaenogastor could have been waiting until after hibernation you know. also you should have given it more than a week. try to be a little more patient. (please don't take that offensively)

[Kaelwizard]

I was “anting today” in NYC and I found this really cool spider called Micranthia Gracilis. No pics but google it, looks really weird since it has a spiky shell thing.

i have wanted spiders from the genus Micrathena for a while now (i also keep spiders)

[Kaelwizard]

Yeah, someone in NYC wants to see ALL of my ants so he can choose in person.

I started out with 4, down to 2 queens in the Formica experiment, odds are that there will only be 1 left.

formica queens kill each other once workers hatch. you will definitely only have one queen left

[Major]

Something terrible happened
My largest novaeboracensis colony lost 4 workers!! I boiled some sand and then added it to their setup. Then the unexpected happened. They appear to be ingesting it. So that’s how they died. I moved them to a fresh test tube and our world free of sand. They won’t stay in the test tube. They scattered their eggs and brood all over the out world. I’m probably going to release them. I also released my Aphenogaster queen as she hasn’t laid eggs in a week.

the aphaenogastor could have been waiting until after hibernation you know. also you should have given it more than a week. try to be a little more patient. (please don't take that offensively)

I realized she wasn’t Aphenogaster but Myrmica. Also, no way she was waiting for after hibernation, it was in July! I’ve had queens of this sp. for a long time, no luck. I also have kept this kind of a queen for much longer than a week and only one eggs that was later eaten.

[Major]

Welp, I’m blacklightibg right now but I guess today’s not a good day. The other day I caught 4 queens! I am also back in Rochester.

[sirjordanncurtis]

Welp, I’m blacklightibg right now but I guess today’s not a good day. The other day I caught 4 queens! I am also back in Rochester.

 

What queens do you usually catch on your blacklight?

[Major]

Welp, I’m blacklightibg right now but I guess today’s not a good day. The other day I caught 4 queens! I am also back in Rochester.

 
What queens do you usually catch on your blacklight?

This was my second time blacklighting, the first time I caught x4 Lasius sp. I didn't catch anything this time though.

[AntsAreUs]

i have wanted spiders from the genus Micrathena for a while now (i also keep spiders)

 

 

 

I can confirm you don't want to keep those. I have LOADS of these spiders at a nearby forest and they don't do anything.