55 replies to this topic

[nurbs]

 

 

 

Secret is: heat, darkness, crickets, and sunflower seeds.

That’s all you did to get 1000+ workers!!?

 
And patience.

Yes of course.... only 7ish months. It’s not that much

 

 

Keep in mind they slow down during the Winter, too.

[Rstheant]

Secret is: heat, darkness, crickets, and sunflower seeds.

That’s all you did to get 1000+ workers!!?

 
And patience.

Yes of course.... only 7ish months. It’s not that much

 
Keep in mind they slow down during the Winter, too.

My queen is still pumping out eggs, and they develop pretty fast

[Rstheant]

Update?

They might be at 2000 workers? So jealous.

[sirjordanncurtis]

Do you have a heat pad on the back?

Or are they heated via cable

[nurbs]

 

 
Keep in mind they slow down during the Winter, too.

My queen is still pumping out eggs, and they develop pretty fast

 

 

You want to replicate what happens in nature. I don't know how they would do over the long term if you're constantly heating them. Even though they don't hibernate you want to give them a respite like they get out in the desert. I purposely do not heat them over the Winter months.

 

So when Summer comes, and your Novomessor all of a sudden stops laying a lot less eggs, that may be the cause. There hasn't been any study on the biological clock of desert ants, so I can't say one way or the other what will happen.

Edited by nurbs, February 2 2019 - 3:28 PM.

[anttics]

Keep in mind they slow down during the Winter, too.

My queen is still pumping out eggs, and they develop pretty fast

You want to replicate what happens in nature. I don't know how they would do over the long term if you're constantly heating them. Even though they don't hibernate you want to give them a respite like they get out in the desert. I purposely do not heat them over the Winter months.

So when Summer comes, and your Novomessor all of a sudden stops laying a lot less eggs, that may be the cause. There hasn't been any study on the biological clock of desert ants, so I can't say one way or the other what will happen.

There is no evidence. Which means it could have an effect on longevity of the queen. Which is why I give them a heat up nest. Conected to a nest with out any heat. I do find the queen in the cold nest once in a while. Yet she mostly choses to be at the warm nest. I do agree with nurbs its unnatural to have heat all year round. Which is why once they grow I will not heat them up next winter. At least 3 to 4 months with out any heat should replicate the desert. How many ants KB. Mine are at 200 workers with 100 pupa.

[Rstheant]

Mine have finally reached the 50+ worker mark!

[anttics]

Mine have finally reached the 50+ worker mark!

Nice if all goes ok. You should be at 200 in 1 or 2 months. When i had 50. Thwybhad at least 50 pupa. When they reached 100. They had 100 pupa. Now at 200. I just can not count how many pupa are there. I expect to reach 500 in 2 months. If they continue this growth

[Rstheant]

They have a good amount of pupa, about one chamber full of pupa.

[KBant]

Sorry for not being as active. Just busy with life. As far as the colony is concerned I haven't been feeding them as often as the beginning. I'm trying to not create a problem of uncontrollable growth. I haven't even purchased crickets in a couple months at least. I feed them sunflower seeds i blend in my nutribullet, it becomes almost a powder, the consistency of the parmesan cheese you put on pizza. I also feed them chicken, white meat, when I eat it myself and just tossed in a few pieces i clean under water first.

 

I know the growth has increased but probably not by much had i fed them more. They are nice enough to keep their trash and dead in the outworld so that their nest is always super clean, and based on the dead workers they are not dying from starvation. Perhaps in the spring i will increase how much i feed them and attach the second nucleus III I have laying around. 

 

I am happy with how they are progressing. The only thing I hate about these ants is that they are such great climbers. I have to be patient to take out their water reservoirs usually at a time when all of them are inside the nest due to my room being so cold.  i guess you can't have everything haha. 

 

As far as heating them goes, I do keep them always warm via a heating cable. I know in the desert, the temperature plummet to near freezing but oh well. Perhaps, keeping them at this temperature is shortening their lives but only time will tell. So far we are A-OK!

[Rstheant]

kB, your colony is growing ‘too fast’. Good on you!

[sirjordanncurtis]

kB, your colony is growing ‘too fast’. Good on you!

 

This actually seems like normal growth for wild conditions. Usually they can get to 1k within the first year.

[Rstheant]

Its crazy!

kB, your colony is growing ‘too fast’. Good on you!

 
This actually seems like normal growth for wild conditions. Usually they can get to 1k within the first year.

[KBant]

discontinued. 

Edited by KBant, December 30 2019 - 3:53 PM.

[JenC]

What happened to them?

[KBant]

What happened to them?

Released into their natural environment. The colony got way too big to manage.