Just an FYI

[martinnate]

Today it rained in Abilene Texas and other areas around Abilene. I'm so happy it did b/c I am off tomorrow and I am going to go searching for Queens.

[ooper01]

Well? How did it go?

[martinnate]

no luck, it was very windy today. I didn't see much happening. I'm not discouraged, I do have a crematogaster Sp that is entertaining me right now lol she has 5 workers now and about 20 eggs and larva. I have to stop myself from looking at her. I have my own colony of Meal Worms and they are still small but my Crematogaster like them anyway lol I can't help but look after I feed them b/c they take the worm in the test tube and the queen eats from it, and she lays it over the brood pile. I also have a camponotus sp that has 5 eggs as of Thursday. I'm trying to only look at her once a week. I am waiting for the Harvester ant to fly. I love the bigger ants. I'm not sure how to care for the Camponotus other than feeding it. I want to build her the nest that best fits her. If the Omni or Hybrid works better I will order one of them if not I would like to build one. Any ideals?? Oh can you freeze a bug and cut it up and feed it to them or do it need to be freshly killed?

[ooper01]

Darn I like harvester ants as well. They are on the larger side and easy to feed since they don't have to have insects all the time. I have some crushed grains that I feed my chickens and the harvester ants like it too

As for the frozen bug question, I would try feeding the insect freshly killed and see if they like it. If so, then try freezing, thawing and feeding it. If they like it great, if not, then you have your definitive answer.

[martinnate]

Ok I will have to try that. I ask b/c I'm going to be go for 2 weeks and my Valentine ants will need to be fed as they are growing fast and my Aunt will be dog sitting for me and isn't to sure about feeding the ants. I will try it and see. They love the meal worms and the green lacewing, or at least this fall they did when they were flying around. They would eat the body or abdomen part and discard the head and wings. I feed then termites too. Now that it rained yesterday they should be coming up in a day or two and I will gather some to feed. They come up to eat the dead dried runner of some sort of grass or weed. Its cool b/c they build a tonal over the runner. They are easy to catch but hard to hold. I always squash then in my hand by mistake.

[martinnate]

So it rained somemore last night and is going to be in the 80's the next couple of days so I may get up early b\c I close all week and its dark when I get off, and go walk and see if I see any queens running around.