The Antlab's Journal, A hopeful ongoing saga

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Gatekey56
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:16 am
Location: DFW Texas

The Antlab's Journal, A hopeful ongoing saga

Post: # 39747Post Gatekey56
Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:32 pm

Hi there everyone! My name is Nick some time ago I started a small Twitter account called The AntLabs, if your interested a link will be at the bottom of the journal entry. Anyways, I had started the account to sort of be a journal of sorts, and to just well share my journy through ant Keeping with anyone who might be interested. Take note I'm not a myrmecologist. Just an Ant lover who is beginning there first steps into the world of ant keeping. I want to learn so much more about the marvelous world of Ants, and what better way then first hand observation and study. So as I can i will be uploading pictures, sharing stories, and my findings of the mighty creatures we call Ants.

Here first I will share a brief recap the first few steps I had taken already, Over the Brief rainy season that we got here in the South Central area of Texas, and between a few friends a number of nice walks Id acquired a total of six Queen Alates, Where they Fertile? Would they lay there first brood. I had so many questions, so many hopes, and over all I was just plain excited!. My first queen Alates! I just could not contain my self. So I got the girls into there own private Condos (test tube setups XD) and put them in the back of my closet, Despite my deeply seated desire to check on them every day I had left them be for as long as I could. I would check on them about once every two weeks, and over the span of a month and a half there was no change, no brood no nothing, The only thing to come about was the sad demise of four of the Six alates, but I held on to hope. After abit of saving and some research, i found a low watt heating cable, and moved the two remaining queens to my dresser, safely tucked away into one of AntsCanada's Test tube racks. With heated cable running through, and covered by a lid they say happy and warm. Less then a week later and one of the two Queens had laid her first brood. I was so very excited and would leave them be, soon after i had my first ninantics. However sadly, i lost most of them, but there numbers bolstered after there first meal, and they are on there track once again. And about this time, the other queen had passed away, and that's not all it was at this point i hit my second Hurdle, You see I am very allergic to Fire ants and after putting love and care into i got a good picture and posted it here on the forum and got her identified. She was a member of the Solenopsis invicta family, And while i want a colony, i don't want to risk my health. So i sighed up for the Gan project, to find this girl a home. Soon after i was informed that due to there nature as a invasive species i could not sell them in the US. nor can i release them, so im in abit of a bind .

In a newer development, last night while on my computer a little yellow winged beauty landed on my screen! I think she is indeed a She and ill post pictures soon. she was only just moved to a test tube, and i want her to have her privacy for now. so lets hope for the best

Well thats all for now! i will keep you all updated!!!

Gatekey56
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:16 am
Location: DFW Texas

Re: The Antlab's Journal, A hopeful ongoing saga

Post: # 39748Post Gatekey56
Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:35 pm

Just realized i saw i forgot my twitter link! here it is https://twitter.com/TheAntLab

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antnest8
Posts: 1438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:11 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: The Antlab's Journal, A hopeful ongoing saga

Post: # 40682Post antnest8
Wed Jul 11, 2018 10:12 am

well for now i would handle them with care and always wear gloves. hopefully you can find more queens because if you are allergic It would be hard to raise these girls for more than a couple months.
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
  • Ant Care Sheets
    Queen Hunting
    How To Identify Ants
Goal is to become #2 poster on the forum

Gatekey56
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:16 am
Location: DFW Texas

Re: The Antlab's Journal, A hopeful ongoing saga

Post: # 49220Post Gatekey56
Mon Sep 03, 2018 9:45 am

antnest8 wrote:
Wed Jul 11, 2018 10:12 am
well for now i would handle them with care and always wear gloves. hopefully you can find more queens because if you are allergic It would be hard to raise these girls for more than a couple months.
Indeed it will be, but after an encounter with a feral colony ive learned im not as allergic as i once was, so im going to try and see how thigns go!

Gatekey56
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:16 am
Location: DFW Texas

Re: The Antlab's Journal, A hopeful ongoing saga

Post: # 49223Post Gatekey56
Mon Sep 03, 2018 9:59 am

Hey everyone, sorry I have been so inactive, life gets in the way and all that jazz. A quick update to any who may read this. In my last journal entry I had talked about a small yellow queen that landed on my computer screen. She was doing well with a number of nanitics and a sizeable brood. However the last few days I had noticed some strange behavior from her. Shed begun digging into the cotton in her testube. and not the cotton blocker keeping her in, but the one used as a barrier for the water. and i mean deep, she was probably a quarter the way in. She was kept in the dark, and had enough water and even supplied droplets of honey water here and there. This morning I got the inkling to check on her and found her out of her cotton burrow which at first made me happy to see her out and about, but quickly dread set in as i realized she was not moving. It did not take long to realize that she had died. With no idea what caused her death With a heavy hart I had to say goodbye to what was to be the founding members of the colony.
But today all is not lost, The colony of imported fire ants that I had is doing well!! moved into there new home they are thriving and doing well! After some personal back and forth; and an encounter with a few feral ants of the species. I learned im not as allergic as i once was so im going to see how things go. Ive been told a humane way to kill the colony off sadly if things dont go well as I Legally cant release them or sell the colony as they are an invasive species.
In other news the rain is pouring down here in Texas, and this afternoon I plan to go for a Ant walk, so wish me luck and you all will be the first to know if i find anything.

noah0517
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2018 12:39 pm
Location: Virginia Beach

Re: The Antlab's Journal, A hopeful ongoing saga

Post: # 50282Post noah0517
Fri Sep 14, 2018 1:12 pm

What are you feeding your Solenopsis invicta colony? I have just recently started my own and they don’t seem to eat the usual crickets and sugar water that the rest of my colonies have in the past.
1 Monomorium Minumum & 1 Solenopsis Invicta colony owner; Virginia Beach, Va; Nicholas Eisenberg

Gatekey56
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:16 am
Location: DFW Texas

Re: The Antlab's Journal, A hopeful ongoing saga

Post: # 51605Post Gatekey56
Sat Sep 29, 2018 2:31 pm

noah0517 wrote:
Fri Sep 14, 2018 1:12 pm
What are you feeding your Solenopsis invicta colony? I have just recently started my own and they don’t seem to eat the usual crickets and sugar water that the rest of my colonies have in the past.
sorry for late response life and what not got int the way, ive been feeding them young meal worms and they seem to love them, ive also had some luck with hard-boiled eggs,

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