Raze's Ant Journal

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Razeluxe

Raze's Ant Journal

Post: # 30327Post Razeluxe
Sun Aug 27, 2017 7:25 pm

So here I am. I didn't know if I wanted to do this or not, because to be 100% honest, I thought I would suck at this.

I had been watching AntsCanada on YouTube a lot lately, and something in me decided that this would be a fun hobby to take up, so I ordered the starter set on the store and went queen hunting. I was concerned because it was closing in on the end of August, so I thought there may not be a lot of queens around, but I was so wrong.

On my first day of ant hunting, I found nothing, and was a little disheartened. I didn't bother to go out the day after, but then a new AntsCanada vid came out and got me in the mood again, and out I went. While walking around the pond beside my apartment, I was delighted to find this beauty:

Image

I was beyond happy, it was a nice looking Camponotus. I scooped her up, happy even though she still had wings, but knowing that doesn't always mean she hasn't mated. I got it identified as Camponotus Noveboracensis. I knew, as I watched her now in my care, that I was already addicted to this.

The next day, I popped out of my bed, got dressed, and before I could even leave the property of my apartment building, this was right on the ground:

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Wow! Another one already, and so close! Freaking awesome. I scooped her up, and put her away, as I was still waiting for my test tubes to arrive, but I hadn't had enough yet. I put this picture here on the forum, and ran outside to look for more. Now this was something I never even looked for before that day, but there was a nuptial flight happening around that pond right by my apartment! There was queens everywhere! I didn't have a ton of containers, so I ended up taking 4 home just that day, enough to fill all 5 of the test tubes I was getting. I learned later that this species was most likely Formica Subsericea.

Days passed, and finally, after a little bit of a fight with the post office, I got my equipment. I sped home, ready to test tube them all.

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After this, I put them in a breadbox, and put them in the storage room of my apartment, and left them to do what they had to do. A day later, I went to check on them, and I seriously have no way to explain how happy this sight made me:

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One egg.

it was working! This was easily one of the coolest things I've done, and it was working. Just one of the queens (Who I named "Victoria") was laying, but that was enough for me. I was elated, and I closed the bread box door, and came back the next day to this:

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Even more eggs! This colony was heading in the right direction! This is as far as I've gotten so far, but I am so ready to see how far I can go with this as a newbie. I will keep this journal updated as much as I can, but until then, as Mikey would say, it's Ant Love forever.

Gavinthesheep1234567
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:04 am

Re: Raze's Ant Journal

Post: # 30366Post Gavinthesheep1234567
Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:27 am

Your are right about the first Queen being Camponotus noveboracensis
Keeper of
Camponotus

As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever :D

Gavinthesheep1234567
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:04 am

Re: Raze's Ant Journal

Post: # 30367Post Gavinthesheep1234567
Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:28 am

Love seeing fellow beginners
Keeper of
Camponotus

As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever :D

Razeluxe

Re: Raze's Ant Journal

Post: # 30376Post Razeluxe
Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:40 am

Cool man, it's nice to know people are starting this kind of thing alongside me. I just checked and another of the queens laid her first egg today. It's freaking amazing. Not sure what I'm gonna do with 2 queens though.

Gavinthesheep1234567
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:04 am

Re: Raze's Ant Journal

Post: # 30379Post Gavinthesheep1234567
Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:38 pm

I have a journal on myrms ant nest here is the link

http://world-of-myrmecology.freeforums.net/thread/1065/gavins-ant-journal
Keeper of
Camponotus

As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever :D

Razeluxe

Re: Raze's Ant Journal

Post: # 30386Post Razeluxe
Mon Aug 28, 2017 1:37 pm

I've been told that is a Formica Subsericea, does this still apply?

Gavinthesheep1234567
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:04 am

Re: Raze's Ant Journal

Post: # 30417Post Gavinthesheep1234567
Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:49 pm

What do you mean
Keeper of
Camponotus

As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever :D

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