Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

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xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Re: Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

Post: # 19289Post xTNxANTMANx
Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:53 pm

While I was feeding my ants today b4 work, I noticed that one of my Camponotus subarbatus colonies has 2 pupae as well. They will be the first new workers of the year and I believe make a total of 8 workers...maybe 9. Will have to count. I try not to keep them in the light to long so I never really have counted the exact number. I do know for sure that another one of those I have has 3 workers tho lol. And the third queen of the same sp is on her first batch. Hoping to have her first nanitics in the next month.
Keeping:
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica pallidefulva x2
Formica subsericea x4
Lasius sp
Tetramorium immigrans x2
Dorymyrmex bureni

Founding:
Formica pallidefulva
Unknown sp x2

Cale3459

Re: Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

Post: # 20054Post Cale3459
Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:33 pm

Well I'm not sure what happened but I had several workers die this weekend. I'm down to 4 workers with my queen. She has two pupae currently. I would like them to move into a test tube as the nest is much too large for them now and they aren't doing a good job keeping it clean. I have a little bit of mold starting on some of the bodies. I've identified a very large Camponotus colony on my property with colony openings in an area 3 feet in diameter. I've used a technique in the past to rescue queens that were going to be killed by our construction work where I put a plywood board down over the entrances and leave it for a week or two. Wait until a sunny hot day and 99% of the time the queen would be there and I could capture her and much of the brood and many workers. I don't prefer to capture established colonies and only do this when the colony is going to be destroyed if I don't but my plan with this one is to capture some brood for this colony that has had a lot of dieoff. Not enough that will hurt the wild colony but enough to hopefully save this colony.

Cormac

Re: Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

Post: # 20179Post Cormac
Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:43 pm

How many eggs and lava does your queen have? maybe your workers will be replenished? I hope your colony succeeds.

Cale3459

Re: Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

Post: # 20186Post Cale3459
Wed Apr 26, 2017 9:54 pm

Cormac wrote:
Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:43 pm
How many eggs and lava does your queen have? maybe your workers will be replenished? I hope your colony succeeds.
Basically full on colony collapse. I have one worker with two pupae. I managed to get her to move back into a test tube so we will see how they do in there with an attached test tube portal for food. As previously mentioned I have located a large colony of wild Camponotus that I am going to attempt to snag some brood in order to boost with. I did locate a small infestation of feral odorous house ants in the cotton under the nest. I'm not sure if this could have contributed to the colony collapse but I'm hoping that the test tube will be good for keeping this colony alive.
Image
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xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Re: Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

Post: # 20198Post xTNxANTMANx
Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:55 pm

Looks like Tapinoma sessile... What's crazy is I actually have a colony of these little ants :-). At the same time, I have problems with wild ones entering my house every year. It's nice to know that I need to keep an eye out just in case something like this happens to one of my other colonies. Where I keep my ants is right by a window also but now that I know this they will definitely be moved to a more secure location.
Keeping:
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica pallidefulva x2
Formica subsericea x4
Lasius sp
Tetramorium immigrans x2
Dorymyrmex bureni

Founding:
Formica pallidefulva
Unknown sp x2

Cormac

Re: Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

Post: # 20260Post Cormac
Fri Apr 28, 2017 12:12 pm

That's interesting. I wonder if they were somehow getting into the camponotus nest.

xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Re: Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

Post: # 20522Post xTNxANTMANx
Tue May 02, 2017 2:36 pm

So over the weekend I found two Camponotus pennsylvanicus queens finally! :-) this species was at the top of my list to keep...well, actually number two. Camponotus castaneus (I hope I spelled that right) is my number one. Since I have caught them they have both laid a couple more eggs each. Would you have any tips since you keep them as well? I'm pretty sure they're about the same as my Camponotus subbarbatus but just curious if there's anything that you do in particular with yours. These two queens and my other Camponotus I really want to make great colonies with. Also, since the move back to the test tube, how is your colony doing? It sucks thank you lost so many workers.
Keeping:
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica pallidefulva x2
Formica subsericea x4
Lasius sp
Tetramorium immigrans x2
Dorymyrmex bureni

Founding:
Formica pallidefulva
Unknown sp x2

Cale3459

Re: Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

Post: # 20804Post Cale3459
Mon May 08, 2017 5:10 pm

xTNxANTMANx wrote:
Tue May 02, 2017 2:36 pm
So over the weekend I found two Camponotus pennsylvanicus queens finally! :-) this species was at the top of my list to keep...well, actually number two. Camponotus castaneus (I hope I spelled that right) is my number one. Since I have caught them they have both laid a couple more eggs each. Would you have any tips since you keep them as well? I'm pretty sure they're about the same as my Camponotus subbarbatus but just curious if there's anything that you do in particular with yours. These two queens and my other Camponotus I really want to make great colonies with. Also, since the move back to the test tube, how is your colony doing? It sucks thank you lost so many workers.
The biggest one is don't get impatient with them. They are very slow growing so don't get any ideas of moving them into a formicarium within first year. I currently have 4 Camponotus queens in test tubes. 3 have eggs and then the colony this thread was for is a queen and a worker. I'm getting ready to brood boost her however due to her major colony collapse. I keep byformica ant nectar in the fridge and just put a little drop in the outworld for the colony that has the one worker. I've also heard that soaking cotton in sugar water is effective and all natural honey. Once you have larvae I keep crickets ready for a protein source. I keep live ones because it doesn't take much to keep them and it's a waste of my time to go buy 1 cricket every couple weeks. I've heard others say they freeze them rather than keeping them live, but my colony only seemed interested when they freshly killed crickets were still moving. As far as setup goes I just have the AntsCanada test tube rack with a heating cable in it. Sometimes I can see the queens have the eggs right up against the cable and others they are on the opposite side. It gives them the option of how warm they want to be. You can message me any specific questions you may have and I will be more than happy to try to answer them for you.

xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Re: Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

Post: # 20814Post xTNxANTMANx
Mon May 08, 2017 7:05 pm

I have been keeping track of this thread and it sucks that happened to the colony. Hopefully the brood boost will go as planned. I've so sooo much research on the species even b4 I caught the 2 queens as they were one of my most wanted. The byFormica nectar you use, is that the Sunburst nectar? I've been debating on getting some myself, but with my biggest Camponotus subbarbatus colony, which is now up to 13 workers as of today :-), they love the maple syrup I give them. I have only checked on them twice since capture but they both have already produced more eggs. So if all goes well, I should be seeing my first workers in June I would think. I now just want a Camponotus castaneus queen or 2 and I'd be happy :-). I would sell/give away the others or let them go. I love the Camponotus species
Keeping:
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica pallidefulva x2
Formica subsericea x4
Lasius sp
Tetramorium immigrans x2
Dorymyrmex bureni

Founding:
Formica pallidefulva
Unknown sp x2

Cale3459

Re: Cale's Camponotus pennsylvanicus colony

Post: # 20817Post Cale3459
Mon May 08, 2017 7:44 pm

xTNxANTMANx wrote:
Mon May 08, 2017 7:05 pm
I have been keeping track of this thread and it sucks that happened to the colony. Hopefully the brood boost will go as planned. I've so sooo much research on the species even b4 I caught the 2 queens as they were one of my most wanted. The byFormica nectar you use, is that the Sunburst nectar? I've been debating on getting some myself, but with my biggest Camponotus subbarbatus colony, which is now up to 13 workers as of today :-), they love the maple syrup I give them. I have only checked on them twice since capture but they both have already produced more eggs. So if all goes well, I should be seeing my first workers in June I would think. I now just want a Camponotus castaneus queen or 2 and I'd be happy :-). I would sell/give away the others or let them go. I love the Camponotus species
Yes it is the sunburst nectar. My ants love it

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