Bean Family Ant Journal

[russbean]

Checking in with Emily on Week 11. I though I'd snap a picture as I moved her to the basement for the winter. She'll be happier where she won't be disturbed by household business.

[russbean]

Sad news. Checking on Felicia this week, I discovered she had died. There are now obvious answers as to why she died, and the other ants she was housed next to seem fine.

[MadVampy]

Sad news. Checking on Felicia this week, I discovered she had died. There are now obvious answers as to why she died, and the other ants she was housed next to seem fine.

Yea I have found 2 out of the 13 queens I collected died also. No real reason, same clean test tubes, same water, same sterile cotton, housed in same holder and same box, collected from same nest. Guess it's just part of nature.

[russbean]

Checking in with Beatrice today; it's been over a month. Shortly after her last picture, she and her brood moved into a new formicarium. They seem to have adjusted okay.

[russbean]

Checking in with Cindy and crew finds them all settled in for the winter.

[russbean]

Checking in on Dani and doing a poor job of not disturbing her. She seems to be doing fine watching over her brood.

[GriffinAnt]

very cool post please keep it up

[russbean]

Here's Emily, happy in her test tube. Just after taking pictures I put a small drop of honey-water near the cotton plug. She went right for it. If I had waited just a minute before putting her away, I could have taken a picture for the journal. I'll try to remember next time.

[ooper01]

Great journal russbean! Love the photos. Do you make your own formicaria?

[russbean]

Great journal russbean! Love the photos. Do you make your own formicaria?

Thanks for the encouragement.

I have both made and purchased my formicaria. A partner and I are working on a couple formicaria designs to be shared a few months from now.

Right now, as you can see in this journal, my colonies aren't really big enough to take advantage of most formicaria.

-Russ