Raze's Ant Journal
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Raze's Ant Journal
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:
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:
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.
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:
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:
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.
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:
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:
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.
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:
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:
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.
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- Posts: 76
- Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:04 am
Re: Raze's Ant Journal
Your are right about the first Queen being Camponotus noveboracensis
Keeper of
Camponotus
As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever
Camponotus
As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever
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- Posts: 76
- Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:04 am
Re: Raze's Ant Journal
Love seeing fellow beginners
Keeper of
Camponotus
As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever
Camponotus
As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever
Re: Raze's Ant Journal
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.
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- Posts: 76
- Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:04 am
Re: Raze's Ant Journal
I have a journal on myrms ant nest here is the link
http://world-of-myrmecology.freeforums.net/thread/1065/gavins-ant-journal
http://world-of-myrmecology.freeforums.net/thread/1065/gavins-ant-journal
Keeper of
Camponotus
As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever
Camponotus
As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever
Re: Raze's Ant Journal
I've been told that is a Formica Subsericea, does this still apply?
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- Posts: 76
- Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:04 am
Re: Raze's Ant Journal
What do you mean
Keeper of
Camponotus
As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever
Camponotus
As Mike would say it's Ant Love Forever
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