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 long should observe ants
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How long should observe ants
Beginner keeper of Prenolepis Imparis and Formica pallidefulva. Would appreciate all the help I can
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Re: How long should observe ants
how many workers?PhatGaster wrote: ↑Thu Apr 27, 2017 12:03 amI 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.
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
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
-
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 2:52 pm
- Location: East Lansing, Chicago
Re: How long should observe ants
2 workers in one, 4 workers in another.
Beginner keeper of Prenolepis Imparis and Formica pallidefulva. Would appreciate all the help I can
Re: How long should observe ants
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.
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.
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