Into the Fire

[BenLWolf]

The nanitics are only fed by the queen at first, so that's why the are basically underdeveloped workers. Once there are enough nanitics to supply a steady flow of food, then either the queen or the nanitics themselves will release a pheromone to signal it is time to shift production into a higher gear. They will then feed more food to the larvae

Oh I know. The first batch of larvae basically have to survive in the queen's saliva while she lives off her wing muscles. ... That's like two levels of starvation. I'm actually eager to see the little girls just to see how tiny and cute they are.

[BenLWolf]

Ant Update... It has happened at last. For a while I feared Karen was EATING her kids, like the insane mum she is. However, this morning's ant check has revealed... one nanitic! She's so tiny. Though, oddly, she seems just more THIN than a minor worker. She still has a respectable body length but looks almost like she's been stretched on a rack.

[BenLWolf]

Ant update. I had to clean out the ant tube... It was getting an unpleasant mold infestation and the water well had run out. So I had to move Karen and her babies around a bit. I may have lost some eggs, but all the larvae and pupae transfered into the temporary holding cell then back into the tube with no problems. I also learned that nanitics can cling to glass like no one's business. That lil girl did NOT want to give up her hold on the tube walls while valiantly carrying one of her pupating sisters. She's a lil hero... It's just a shame she was trying to save the hive from a clean new home and fresh food.

[BenLWolf]

Ant update. We are up to three nanitics. Also, having given them a small piece of meat this morning, I was surprised to see that Karen is fully capable of eating on her own. They little workers basically tore off a piece barely smaller than they are, set it down infront of her face, and she proceeded to go to town on it. I supposed I always believed queen ants were hand fed by the worker caste and didn't even bother to chew on their own.

[Hawkeye]

Did they at least bring deserts?

All queens can eat on their own if I'm not mistaken. But in her role as egg layer, her time is valuable, hence the workers wait on her. Most of the time they will feed her from their social stomach, but like you saw chunks of food will be offered too.

[BenLWolf]

Ant update: Everyone seems happy enough. We are up to 4 nanitics, yay! Karen is well fed and lazy, as a Karen should be. More eggs have joined the egg pile while everyone collectively nibbles on the meat crumbs. At what point should I introduce them to their permanent home?

[ArizonanAnts]

Sounds awesome having a colony. I have a Forelius Pruinosis colony and just about 3 or 4 weeks ago all of my nanitics were born!! I have about 7 and hoping for about another 4 in the next month or so. I am really excited that someone else has an amazing species that is flourishing. I will stay tuned to hear the amazing progress of your Karen and her colony.

-ArizonanAnts

[BenLWolf]

Sounds awesome having a colony. I have a Forelius Pruinosis colony and just about 3 or 4 weeks ago all of my nanitics were born!! I have about 7 and hoping for about another 4 in the next month or so. I am really excited that someone else has an amazing species that is flourishing. I will stay tuned to hear the amazing progress of your Karen and her colony.

-ArizonanAnts

if I'm right and they ARE south american fire ants... getting them to flourish isn't the problem. STOPPING Them in a problem. They're essentially super ants that breed explosively, migrate whenever they feel like it, can have multiple queens, eat ANYTHING, are chemical resistant, and will happily flee a formicarium and invade the surrounding house if they feel hungry/crowded/cold.

[ArizonanAnts]

Sounds awesome having a colony. I have a Forelius Pruinosis colony and just about 3 or 4 weeks ago all of my nanitics were born!! I have about 7 and hoping for about another 4 in the next month or so. I am really excited that someone else has an amazing species that is flourishing. I will stay tuned to hear the amazing progress of your Karen and her colony.

-ArizonanAnts

if I'm right and they ARE south American fire ants... getting them to flourish isn't the problem. STOPPING Them in a problem. They're essentially super ants that breed explosively, migrate whenever they feel like it, can have multiple queens, eat ANYTHING, are chemical resistant, and will happily flee a formicarium and invade the surrounding house if they feel hungry/crowded/cold.

Hopefully, you can keep them under control.

[Hawkeye]

So quick question. Since they are migrating ants, do you intend to have several formicariums/outworlds which they can travel between?

As in they live in A now, at some point you will connect B and once they've migrated deny them access to A. Then after some time connect C, deny B and eventually cycle back to A.

That would support their natural behaviour, give them something to focus on, and it might make them less eager to escape a formicarium?