Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 5:09 pm
Moving this journal here from another forum.
The below string of posts started 4-1-17
Hi all, this will officially be my first ant keeping experience so, by all means, please feel free to critique if you read that I am doing something foolish/incorrectly.
About a week ago, I was picking up limbs in the yard after a heavy storm we had in the area (Northeastern Louisiana), when I noticed the largest black carpenter ant I had ever seen. I quickly went into the house and got a jar to put her in. Came back to 2 more, and these had wings!
I caught all three and brought them into the house to show my son who loves ants (7year old autistic son who apparently only loves the *idea* of ants). I then began googling, as I am prone to do, and quickly came upon this forum and the AntsCanada YouTube channel. After doing some picture searching and diligent reading, I now have all three in test tube setups, and have decided to chronicle my adventure along with the experts.
From what I have read, I have deduced that the queens I have are most likely campomotus pennsylvanicus, although it seems somewhat early for them to be flying. I have since decided that this was most likely due to the aforementioned storm.
I caught three queens that day: one wingless (queen 1 from this point forward), one that had only one wing (queen 2), and the third had both wings in tact (queen 3). Queen 2 & 3 both shed their wings almost immediately upon putting them in test tubes.
Queen 1 now has four eggs. Queen 2 has 3 eggs. And, queen 3 seemed rather restless and would not lay. So, this morning I made a small (4"×4"×1") formicarium out of red oak with my 1/2" router bit and covered it with lexan. I connected her tube to it and she immediately began exploring it. Now, approximately 8 hours later, she has finally laid her fist egg and moved it to the test tube, probably because of the humidity created by putting their test tubes on a warm heating pad.
I am super excited that they have, now, all began laying eggs. My wife is rather annoyed, due to my ever growing list of hobbies (sever A.D.D. is no laughing matter). I however am rather pleased that this is finally something that seems to keep my attention and I didn't have to purchase any materials for. I had test tubes, heating mats, and lumber/tools from other hobbies I have been known to dabble in.
The below string of posts started 4-1-17
Hi all, this will officially be my first ant keeping experience so, by all means, please feel free to critique if you read that I am doing something foolish/incorrectly.
About a week ago, I was picking up limbs in the yard after a heavy storm we had in the area (Northeastern Louisiana), when I noticed the largest black carpenter ant I had ever seen. I quickly went into the house and got a jar to put her in. Came back to 2 more, and these had wings!
I caught all three and brought them into the house to show my son who loves ants (7year old autistic son who apparently only loves the *idea* of ants). I then began googling, as I am prone to do, and quickly came upon this forum and the AntsCanada YouTube channel. After doing some picture searching and diligent reading, I now have all three in test tube setups, and have decided to chronicle my adventure along with the experts.
From what I have read, I have deduced that the queens I have are most likely campomotus pennsylvanicus, although it seems somewhat early for them to be flying. I have since decided that this was most likely due to the aforementioned storm.
I caught three queens that day: one wingless (queen 1 from this point forward), one that had only one wing (queen 2), and the third had both wings in tact (queen 3). Queen 2 & 3 both shed their wings almost immediately upon putting them in test tubes.
Queen 1 now has four eggs. Queen 2 has 3 eggs. And, queen 3 seemed rather restless and would not lay. So, this morning I made a small (4"×4"×1") formicarium out of red oak with my 1/2" router bit and covered it with lexan. I connected her tube to it and she immediately began exploring it. Now, approximately 8 hours later, she has finally laid her fist egg and moved it to the test tube, probably because of the humidity created by putting their test tubes on a warm heating pad.
I am super excited that they have, now, all began laying eggs. My wife is rather annoyed, due to my ever growing list of hobbies (sever A.D.D. is no laughing matter). I however am rather pleased that this is finally something that seems to keep my attention and I didn't have to purchase any materials for. I had test tubes, heating mats, and lumber/tools from other hobbies I have been known to dabble in.