How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

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RuinedDrone
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How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

Post: # 73606Post RuinedDrone
Sun Sep 06, 2020 5:35 pm

Follow up to a previous question.

After the first nanitics emerge how long before they venture out of the imidate nest to serch for food? the suger water is a short lenth of tube from where they queen is on her brood but i have not seen any sign of them making the trip yet.

They have access to water but i had assumed they would quickly leave to forage for food so they can feed the queen but i have not seen any sign of this yet?

Do the reamin close to the queen for a few days before venturing out or should the leave almost imideatly, its 3 days now and the two nanitics are active but staying close?

How long can the queen survive with out food once the nanitics are active?

AntsLuxembourg
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Re: How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

Post: # 73618Post AntsLuxembourg
Mon Sep 07, 2020 2:27 am

hey, not sure about the exact details but I guess the queen could survive a little longer without food. But you can offer the colony a tiny droplet of honey and a cut up feeder insect or a leg to offer them some protein. They will maybe forage in a week, however I don't know for sure how long it takes. it may depend on how much food is left and how many workers there are.

The best you can do is to provide them with some food inside their testtube. That's all.
If you wonder why they don't venture out it is because they are too small a colony and only do trips outside their nest if it is really necessary. Basically if they lose a workers now, it means that they have lose (if 4 workers) 1/4 of their work force. Or 25%. So they don't want to be over hasty with this.
Doing some proper research is the best way to start an antcolony.

Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

Currently not keeping any ants anymore.

RuinedDrone
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:33 pm
Location: UK

Re: How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

Post: # 73620Post RuinedDrone
Mon Sep 07, 2020 6:20 am

Cheers,

Well they have half a meal worm, a small bit of suger water and a ball of cotton wall socked in water.

They can also if they want climb out though a tube and find 2 tubes (one of water and one suger water ), so i am hoping that over then next 3-5 days they grow in numbers and start exploring further.

Yesturday there were 2 Nanitics today 4 so numbers are going up and queen still looks lively :)

Thanks for the advice

AntsLuxembourg
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Re: How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

Post: # 73621Post AntsLuxembourg
Mon Sep 07, 2020 7:37 am

Interesting. I do hope you don't check on them daily as that may cause stress to the queen. Just check on them maybe once ever 3-4 days at this stage. For example throw in a mealworm on one day and 3 days later remove it. If the colony feels that it is time to move into a better test tube then they will do it however they please. Just give them some time and they will explore. Preferably during the night or times when they feel not observed. So just give them time and they will thank you in return with whatever they feel good to show you. :)
Doing some proper research is the best way to start an antcolony.

Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

Currently not keeping any ants anymore.

RuinedDrone
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:33 pm
Location: UK

Re: How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

Post: # 73631Post RuinedDrone
Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:25 pm

24/7 Infrered camaara CCTV I check on them all the time ;) Even has motion capture so I know when their moving about.

Have a bunch if Raspberry pi's laying around so teh £20 for a night vision camara is well worth it.

From before any "hatched" a queen happy with her brood. https://youtu.be/XGaJpdVGQCI

(I do wish the youtube code would work)

Moved the Camrara now so the images are not as good (wide filed of view to see more now things are movng about) but can still check up on her and her little ones with out disterbing her.

I also have the whole set up covered at the moment apart from the water and sugerwater tubes (poking out from the cover) so they can remain in the dark untill about 1cm from food and water when they do want to explore.

AntsLuxembourg
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Re: How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

Post: # 73642Post AntsLuxembourg
Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:21 am

I know the video is not super recent and I don't know if you have nanitics yet but it did look really good and mostly clear. :)

Would love to set something up like this too now that I've seen a video of it.

I would say just let the workers do their thing and they will explore soon enough. :)
Doing some proper research is the best way to start an antcolony.

Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

Currently not keeping any ants anymore.

RuinedDrone
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:33 pm
Location: UK

Re: How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

Post: # 73704Post RuinedDrone
Thu Sep 10, 2020 5:11 pm

Image

for a more uptodate image, quility is not good as its looking though dirty glass and hard to focus but you can see Queen on brood and at least one little one.

AntsLuxembourg
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Re: How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

Post: # 73714Post AntsLuxembourg
Fri Sep 11, 2020 3:09 am

So the queen has a first worker now?
Doing some proper research is the best way to start an antcolony.

Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

Currently not keeping any ants anymore.

RuinedDrone
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:33 pm
Location: UK

Re: How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

Post: # 73719Post RuinedDrone
Fri Sep 11, 2020 7:15 am

yep had them for about a week.

RuinedDrone
Posts: 79
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Re: How long befoer nanitics leave the nest to forage?

Post: # 73959Post RuinedDrone
Mon Sep 21, 2020 11:45 am

I am guessing while its been a few weeks as they have food and water in the nest they feel no need to venture further. a few more have come olong and for last few days they been tearing in to a meal worm.

Image

Still not left the nest althogh they do have water, worm and suger in the nest so maybe no need to yet. More brood has been ariving and now have a 6 or 7 workers running about. would like to see them venture out so as least i know they can get out to the portal where there is fresh water and suger water for them.

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