Welcome back to the Camponotus Crew! (New topic, old one got too long)

[DHUD91]

New Crew Member has arrived

https://imgur.com/a/Wzu1Vva | Here is a peek at my queen (First one ever)

https://imgur.com/a/SSZsRQl And her nanitics about to emerge any day!

Someone suggested Camponotus novaeboracensis and its the closest I have found in resemblance. Its also a little hard to see everything as she still has not shed her wings. But the reddish/amber middle section looks identical to my queen.

[DHUD91]

Question for fellow Camponotus keepers:

I have heard mixed information on how long to keep in test tubes, and how long to wait to feed. I would like to hear your opinions.

Back Story: (Scroll to THE POINT below for my actual questions, lol) Well, I don't know was I did to spook my queen today - I pick up the test tube about once a day just to check on things and I have never put her into a panic before.

Today I did something and she moved her entire brood from the opening of the test tube, to as far away from the opening as possible, by the wet cotton. The ENTIRE time I have had her in the test tube, she has had her brood as far away from the wet cotton as possible. This made it hard for me to see.

When she moved her brood to the other side, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to put a cotton ball on the other end instead of the cap, so I could always have a really good look at what was going on.

THE POINT: I received a product called "Beetle Jelly" when I ordered my formicarium. I figured it couldn't hurt and if I gave her a little sliver of it. So I did.

So now that I have already made the executive decision to give her food - I'm looking on opinions on at what point to do the transfer to formicarium. (I ordered 2, planning on using the Minihearth as the founding habitat.

Here are some pics of her inspecting this new foreign substance in her tube.

Also - (And maybe you can only see this on a PC) - But if I'm not mistaken I can see the outlines of the nanitics getting ready to come say hello in the last picture!

[SolenopsisKeeper]

Question for fellow Camponotus keepers:

I have heard mixed information on how long to keep in test tubes, and how long to wait to feed. I would like to hear your opinions.

Back Story: (Scroll to THE POINT below for my actual questions, lol) Well, I don't know was I did to spook my queen today - I pick up the test tube about once a day just to check on things and I have never put her into a panic before.

Today I did something and she moved her entire brood from the opening of the test tube, to as far away from the opening as possible, by the wet cotton. The ENTIRE time I have had her in the test tube, she has had her brood as far away from the wet cotton as possible. This made it hard for me to see.

When she moved her brood to the other side, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to put a cotton ball on the other end instead of the cap, so I could always have a really good look at what was going on.

THE POINT: I received a product called "Beetle Jelly" when I ordered my formicarium. I figured it couldn't hurt and if I gave her a little sliver of it. So I did.

So now that I have already made the executive decision to give her food - I'm looking on opinions on at what point to do the transfer to formicarium. (I ordered 2, planning on using the Minihearth as the founding habitat.

Here are some pics of her inspecting this new foreign substance in her tube.

Also - (And maybe you can only see this on a PC) - But if I'm not mistaken I can see the outlines of the nanitics getting ready to come say hello in the last picture!

Mini hearths are good for founding, but I am not sure what you are asking?

Just in case, yes, it does look like nantics in those cocoons, and beetle jelly is okay for them to eat. Feed them every other day, and usually near night when small colonies forage.

[DHUD91]

My question was at what point do I transfer queen, workers, and brood from test tube to minihearth?

[SolenopsisKeeper]

My question was at what point do I transfer queen, workers, and brood from test tube to minihearth?

They can go to the mini hearth as soon as all the nantics hatch

[herculeanus64]

I have a question. I have 5 queens 2 are crematogaster and two are camponotus. Is there a way to tell if the eggs are developing correctly. Or if she's laying eggs to feed herself? My crematogasters are only a few weeks old. But my camponotus one is just started laying eggs and the other has had eggs for close to a month. As far as I can see they are all eggs no larvae yet. There in a non air conditioned room. So it's been fairly warm in there.

[SolenopsisKeeper]

I have a question. I have 5 queens 2 are crematogaster and two are camponotus. Is there a way to tell if the eggs are developing correctly. Or if she's laying eggs to feed herself? My crematogasters are only a few weeks old. But my camponotus one is just started laying eggs and the other has had eggs for close to a month. As far as I can see they are all eggs no larvae yet. There in a non air conditioned room. So it's been fairly warm in there.

Some eggs take along time to develop. My D, bureni queen took 5 months to get nantics at 78F.

The Camponotus should be good, as their eggs develop faster in warm temps.

[Polyrhachiskeeper]

Hi, I am new here. I am keeping some cousins, can you guys guess what they are?
Hint: AC has a dream colony of them in a dream terrarium. And its shown under here (hint: my signature)
And what are 'Mini hearths'

[SYUTEO]

Hi, I am new here. I am keeping some cousins, can you guys guess what they are?
Hint: AC has a dream colony of them in a dream terrarium. And its shown under here (hint: my signature)
And what are 'Mini hearths'

Mini hearths are formicariums made by Tarheel Ants

[camponotuspro1]

is the Hybrid nest mini suitable for carpenter ants?