How long should observe ants

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

Moderator: ooper01

Post Reply
PhatGaster
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 2:52 pm
Location: East Lansing, Chicago

How long should observe ants

Post: # 20201Post PhatGaster
Thu Apr 27, 2017 12:03 am

I know I shouldnt bother my queens all that much and leave them be to be in peace and dark and not stress them out but my new formica queen and her workers seem to be very tolerant of light. It took forever for them to change tubing when I caught them, and when trying to get them away from the opening for feeding. They seem to like light more than dark, laying eggs on the way home in the light.

Anyway, I know it shouldnt be much but I was wondering for a formica species how much can I observe them? I'm guessing once a week maybe? Also for each viewing session how long should I watch? Can I just stare at them feeding for an hour and leave them alone the rest of the week. There past founding stage if that helps. Thanks guys.
Beginner keeper of Prenolepis Imparis and Formica pallidefulva. Would appreciate all the help I can

User avatar
idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: How long should observe ants

Post: # 20210Post idahoantgirl
Thu Apr 27, 2017 11:02 am

PhatGaster wrote:
Thu Apr 27, 2017 12:03 am
I know I shouldnt bother my queens all that much and leave them be to be in peace and dark and not stress them out but my new formica queen and her workers seem to be very tolerant of light. It took forever for them to change tubing when I caught them, and when trying to get them away from the opening for feeding. They seem to like light more than dark, laying eggs on the way home in the light.

Anyway, I know it shouldnt be much but I was wondering for a formica species how much can I observe them? I'm guessing once a week maybe? Also for each viewing session how long should I watch? Can I just stare at them feeding for an hour and leave them alone the rest of the week. There past founding stage if that helps. Thanks guys.
how many workers?
Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile

PhatGaster
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 2:52 pm
Location: East Lansing, Chicago

Re: How long should observe ants

Post: # 20214Post PhatGaster
Thu Apr 27, 2017 1:00 pm

2 workers in one, 4 workers in another.
Beginner keeper of Prenolepis Imparis and Formica pallidefulva. Would appreciate all the help I can

Geodude123

Re: How long should observe ants

Post: # 26217Post Geodude123
Sat Jul 22, 2017 9:31 am

Seeing as how I really don't have the patience to wait a while week before looking at my ants, what I did is keep one colony to watch and look at maybe once or twice a day in my desk covered my a sock, and put any others i caught away in the dark and don't disturb them, other than checking once a week and giving them a pinprick of honey.
That way if my regular watching them or disturbing them affects the colony, I have others which haven't been disturbed I can move into a formicarium once they get big enough and I can release the others. That way it doesn't really matter how much you observe that one particular colony\queen.
To be honest, the colony i keep out and 'disturbed' does just as well as the others which are in the dark, but I'm sure that's specific to each queen. One of the ones I have in the dark has only just started laying, and one has its first nanitic. Each queen is different.

But yeah, maybe that method might work for you if you're like me and love watching their behaviour.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests