Bean Family Ant Journal

[russbean]

Nothing has change with Beatrice over the last few weeks. She and her crew are in a byFormica Growtube for those who have been curious.

[antscanada]

Truly loving this thread. I have some back reading to do, but journals like this are super valuable to the ant community. Thank you for taking the time to take us through your journey!

[russbean]

Here is Cindy and crew; they are in a 3D printed formicarium I pulled from Thingiverse: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:409319. It was one of Terry's earlier designs. I had visions of placing it on my desk at work, so I could watch the ants when I needed a mental break. Once I moved Cindy and family into the formicarium, I couldn't bear stressing them that way--busy environment, noise, vibrations, and florescent lighting. So it has stayed home where I can keep them comfy and protected. It's a nice little design, but I fear that the ventilation is not adequate.

[russbean]

Truly loving this thread. I have some back reading to do, but journals like this are super valuable to the ant community. Thank you for taking the time to take us through your journey!

Thanks for checking back in with the thread and throwing some kudos my way. I can only say you are welcome, and thank you, sir, for providing a place for journals like this to exist, for providing excellent content/services for budding ant enthusiasts, and (most importantly) for fostering an environment where even a newbie like myself can feel comfortable sharing his/her experiences.

-Russ

[russbean]

My son's favorite queen is Dani, and I'm so glad she has been doing well since he found her. It's pretty difficult to get a decent shot through the test tube, but this is what I was able to capture this week. She has been in this test tube since finding her 21 weeks ago. Other than a couple drops of honey, she has been completely maintenance free.

[russbean]

Here is Emily in her hibernating state. I think she is looking darker in color than a few weeks ago.

[russbean]

When I caught Beatrice 31 weeks ago, my son and I had no idea that we'd be taking care of her and her tiny brood all these weeks later. Granted, it's pretty easy to take care of hibernating ants. Still, capturing a queen in the wild brings with it certain responsibilities that aren't fully realized until things have had a chance to play out over the months. I'm glad she is with us, and I can't wait to see what happens in her next phase of life.

[russbean]

Cindy was being very shy today when I checked up on her. She proved to be quite difficult to photograph. Everyone seems to be healthy.

[russbean]

I'm seeing more activity from the Formica ants this week, as March approaches. But Dani and Emily are still pretty sluggish. Here are some updated shots of Dani. It's been quite a while since I've checked in with her other than a few quick peeks now and then. She and her brood seem to be doing just fine.

[russbean]

New developments with Emily this week. She's now caring for a single pupa. Finding that Emily had a pupa was a complete surprise to me. When I looked in on her last week, I didn't see any evidence of eggs or larva; she must have hidden it from sight.