Hugh's Ant Journal

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AntsNewZealand
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:25 pm
Location: New Zealand

Hugh's Ant Journal

Post: # 32442Post AntsNewZealand
Wed Oct 18, 2017 2:37 am

I decided to make a blog about my new colony.

I've probable had around 7 queens over the last 18 mouths however they have all died (I still have 2 alive).
All have queens have died from mold and didn't move out of the test tub for weeks and weeks (I tried everything, light, heat, mossier e.t.c

So I decided to get it a go on the cheetahs way: I found a colony near some brick around the back of my house.

I've had them for 2 weeks.

I have made a dirt nest because it would of been to hard to get rid of the dirt from the original nest (even thought it was a brick nest there was a lot of dirt under and beside it, where the ants where nesting. I plan to move them out of this went they out grown there old nest (they are no where close to out growing it).

Went I dig them out I did see the queen, I am not sure if she is still alive but I sure hope she is!

I have no idea what spices they are, I will upload some photos soon (next few days) so you guys are ID :)

I am feeding them: Honey, nuts and darkling beetle (the beetle of the meal worm). They have eaten a bit of honey (they ate a lot 3 days ago) but haven't eaten any for the last 2 days, I have seen one or two ants on the nuts eating them, but not much at all. They LOVE the darkling beetles with around 25+ ants coming out to eat it. I tried and failed to feed them a grape, they didn't touch it. I am feeding them a darkling beetle a day, and a small teaspoon of honey a day, I will get them a sunflower seed a week and see if they like it or if I should stop feeding it to them, (its not just sunflower seeds, also, peanut and Almonds).

I will upload photos in the next 3 days :) and will post once or twice a weeks.
Also I live in New Zealand, it spring over here!

Thanks

User avatar
idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: Hugh's Ant Journal

Post: # 32469Post idahoantgirl
Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:11 am

AntsNewZealand wrote:
Wed Oct 18, 2017 2:37 am
I decided to make a blog about my new colony.

I've probable had around 7 queens over the last 18 mouths however they have all died (I still have 2 alive).
All have queens have died from mold and didn't move out of the test tub for weeks and weeks (I tried everything, light, heat, mossier e.t.c

So I decided to get it a go on the cheetahs way: I found a colony near some brick around the back of my house.

I've had them for 2 weeks.

I have made a dirt nest because it would of been to hard to get rid of the dirt from the original nest (even thought it was a brick nest there was a lot of dirt under and beside it, where the ants where nesting. I plan to move them out of this went they out grown there old nest (they are no where close to out growing it).

Went I dig them out I did see the queen, I am not sure if she is still alive but I sure hope she is!

I have no idea what spices they are, I will upload some photos soon (next few days) so you guys are ID :)

I am feeding them: Honey, nuts and darkling beetle (the beetle of the meal worm). They have eaten a bit of honey (they ate a lot 3 days ago) but haven't eaten any for the last 2 days, I have seen one or two ants on the nuts eating them, but not much at all. They LOVE the darkling beetles with around 25+ ants coming out to eat it. I tried and failed to feed them a grape, they didn't touch it. I am feeding them a darkling beetle a day, and a small teaspoon of honey a day, I will get them a sunflower seed a week and see if they like it or if I should stop feeding it to them, (its not just sunflower seeds, also, peanut and Almonds).
I will upload photos in the next 3 days :) and will post once or twice a weeks.
Also I live in New Zealand, it spring over here!

Thanks
If they will take the food, then they need it. You cant "overfeed" nats to the point where they would be sick or fat or anything. Some species will hog and store food though, so that is the only reason to be careful how much you feed them.
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

AntsNewZealand
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:25 pm
Location: New Zealand

Re: Hugh's Ant Journal

Post: # 32474Post AntsNewZealand
Thu Oct 19, 2017 12:32 pm

Yeah,

I'm not sure why but they've stopped eating honey, (I have still left some in there).
But they LOVE there protin, I decided to go around the garden finding bugs, a got some small worms (not garden worms) a black beetle, 12 hours later it was all gone, so I have feed them again.

Thanks

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

Re: Hugh's Ant Journal

Post: # 32537Post Gavinthesheep1234567
Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:48 pm

Awesome keep us posted
Keeper of
Camponotus

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

AntsNewZealand
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:25 pm
Location: New Zealand

Re: Hugh's Ant Journal

Post: # 32545Post AntsNewZealand
Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:12 am

Gavinthesheep1234567 wrote:
Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:48 pm
Awesome keep us posted
Your wish is my command.
I'm taken some photos, (they are a bit crap, but oh well).
If someone can ID them from the photos that would be great however it will be a bit hard with the photos, it's a few works, they are around 3-5mm (photos below).

I have changed a bit with the nest, I hope to move them out of it into a hybrid-nest, I have taken out around two cups of dirt so they grown out of the dirt nest faster.

Food- They have real slowed down on the food, they are no longer eating much honey (I still always have it in there for them), I gave them a small bit of chocolate - haven't touched it, they are still loving the darlking beetles so will keep feeling them.

Photo time, I hope they work, I am using Imgur.

To start with the nest, the nest has a plaster of paris out nest with some tunnels, in the middle is a hole full of dirt.

https://imgur.com/yRXxGij
Image
Above shot of the nest

https://imgur.com/a/VCKn6
Image
One of the four sides.

Now for the ID, the photos were really hard to get, so warming you they don't look the best.

https://imgur.com/a/QeQml
Image
Size

https://imgur.com/a/4LhVh
Image
Size

https://imgur.com/a/gBfq6
Image
Size

https://imgur.com/a/ZknKd
Image
Size

https://imgur.com/a/4pUzZ
Image
Side view (it's on the water test tub)

https://imgur.com/a/Ufezr
Image
Group of ants eating a darkling beetle

Random photos

https://imgur.com/a/fVXZI
Image
TimeLapes of my ants eating a darling beetle (I have a better timelapes but it's to long :(

Will post more soon
Thanks

Hugh

AntsNewZealand
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:25 pm
Location: New Zealand

Re: Hugh's Ant Journal

Post: # 32546Post AntsNewZealand
Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:15 am

Sorry, can't get the photos to appear, you can still click the link :) :D

AntsNewZealand
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:25 pm
Location: New Zealand

Re: Hugh's Ant Journal

Post: # 32641Post AntsNewZealand
Mon Oct 30, 2017 1:13 pm

I have been feeding them a lot of meat, they love protein and not so much suger

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