Temnothorax curvispinosus (acorn ants)

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robyn13572
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2022 10:09 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Temnothorax curvispinosus (acorn ants)

Post: # 92584Post robyn13572
Sun May 22, 2022 12:17 am

This is my first colony of ants that I've kept, and also my first real post on the forum, so I'm sorry if it's somewhat ramble-y or all over the place!

About a week ago, after a week or so of searching, I found a colony of acorn ants! I currently have them in a small 0.5 gallon outworld, with an attached ant nest (which they aren't currently using). A few days ago, I saw one worker checking out the nest, but I haven't seen any more ants in it since then. I also had a water tower, but they weren't drinking from it, so I removed it from the setup. The soil is potting soil and I found the mosses outside in my yard. I tried to use some of those flat glass marble things in the bottom of the outworld, to attempt to assist with drainage, but it probably won't be very effective. I also added some springtails.

Image

I've been feeding the colony some turkey deli meat, and they've been pretty happy to eat it. I tried offering them a few other things, including a small bit of sweet jelly, sugar water (in a water tower), honey, and some peanut butter, but they weren't interested so I removed the offerings.

Image

I didn't want to force them to leave their acorn that I found them in, so I just put their test tube into the outworld. (Because they're still living in their acorn, I'm unsure if the colony has a queen or not.) I cut off the tip of a plastic pipette and used it to make a small tunnel opening in the cotton ball that was sealing the test tube, so that it would stay humid and there would be minimal airflow. They've been drinking the water in the test tube, and have also been pulling fibers off of the cotton ball holding the water back, and discarding it wherever they please in the outworld. I've been doing my best to clean up whatever small fibers I can.

Image

I am a little bit worried about a small patch of what appears to be an early stage of flower pot fungus (I could be completely wrong though.) From what I read online, it doesn't seem like it will be too big of an issue, but please let me know if I'm wrong about that! It seems like the main cause might be that I've been keeping the soil too moist, so I'm going to let it dry out more between waterings from now on. (In the following image you can also see some of the cotton fibers.)

Image

I'm super excited to keep this colony of ants, and I'll try to post some more updates in the near future. :D

Links to what I used in the setup:
Outworld: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1223578675/05-gal-starter-out-world-for-ants-and
Ant nest: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1031152665/nest-for-tiny-ants-small-gen2
Water tower: https://www.etsy.com/listing/741243988/ants-farm-water-tower-for-ants-1pc
I'm new to the hobby :)
Currently keeping:
1 Temnothorax curvispinosus colony
2 Camponotus pennsylvanicus queens

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: Temnothorax curvispinosus (acorn ants)

Post: # 92603Post SolenopsisKeeper
Sun May 22, 2022 9:20 pm

robyn13572 wrote:
Sun May 22, 2022 12:17 am
This is my first colony of ants that I've kept, and also my first real post on the forum, so I'm sorry if it's somewhat ramble-y or all over the place!

About a week ago, after a week or so of searching, I found a colony of acorn ants! I currently have them in a small 0.5 gallon outworld, with an attached ant nest (which they aren't currently using). A few days ago, I saw one worker checking out the nest, but I haven't seen any more ants in it since then. I also had a water tower, but they weren't drinking from it, so I removed it from the setup. The soil is potting soil and I found the mosses outside in my yard. I tried to use some of those flat glass marble things in the bottom of the outworld, to attempt to assist with drainage, but it probably won't be very effective. I also added some springtails.

Image

I've been feeding the colony some turkey deli meat, and they've been pretty happy to eat it. I tried offering them a few other things, including a small bit of sweet jelly, sugar water (in a water tower), honey, and some peanut butter, but they weren't interested so I removed the offerings.

Image

I didn't want to force them to leave their acorn that I found them in, so I just put their test tube into the outworld. (Because they're still living in their acorn, I'm unsure if the colony has a queen or not.) I cut off the tip of a plastic pipette and used it to make a small tunnel opening in the cotton ball that was sealing the test tube, so that it would stay humid and there would be minimal airflow. They've been drinking the water in the test tube, and have also been pulling fibers off of the cotton ball holding the water back, and discarding it wherever they please in the outworld. I've been doing my best to clean up whatever small fibers I can.

Image

I am a little bit worried about a small patch of what appears to be an early stage of flower pot fungus (I could be completely wrong though.) From what I read online, it doesn't seem like it will be too big of an issue, but please let me know if I'm wrong about that! It seems like the main cause might be that I've been keeping the soil too moist, so I'm going to let it dry out more between waterings from now on. (In the following image you can also see some of the cotton fibers.)

Image

I'm super excited to keep this colony of ants, and I'll try to post some more updates in the near future. :D

Links to what I used in the setup:
Outworld: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1223578675/05-gal-starter-out-world-for-ants-and
Ant nest: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1031152665/nest-for-tiny-ants-small-gen2
Water tower: https://www.etsy.com/listing/741243988/ants-farm-water-tower-for-ants-1pc

Nice colony and welcome to the forum! It’s probable they have a queen, as in summer the polgynos nests will split into multiple colonies(Or so I read, but may be wrong). You may have a colony with multiple queens!

Good luck! ;)
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

robyn13572
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2022 10:09 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Temnothorax curvispinosus (acorn ants)

Post: # 92686Post robyn13572
Tue May 24, 2022 7:51 pm

UPDATE!! (5-24-2022)

So, the ant nest was...not the best idea. I just went to check on my ants, and couldn't see very many of them wandering around in the outworld, so I looked around. That was when I noticed a worker checking out the nest! I thought: "Oh that's awesome! Maybe they're finally thinking about moving out of their acorn!" I figured that I should check to make sure that the water beads which are underneath the set-up were still full of water, so the humidity would be good. So, I carefully removed the bottom, which housed the water beads.

That was when I realized that no, they were not planning on moving into the nest.

No, instead, they had realized that they could get out through some small crack in the nest, of which I couldn't see.

I was able to carefully pick them up and place them back in the outworld with a q-tip and a small paper, and I believe I got most of them. But OH BOY, was that stressful! I have now disconnected the nest and plugged up the connection spot with a *** SPAM ***, making sure that it was packed very tightly, and then taped on the outside, to make sure they can't get through.
I'm new to the hobby :)
Currently keeping:
1 Temnothorax curvispinosus colony
2 Camponotus pennsylvanicus queens

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: Temnothorax curvispinosus (acorn ants)

Post: # 92690Post SolenopsisKeeper
Tue May 24, 2022 9:08 pm

robyn13572 wrote:
Tue May 24, 2022 7:51 pm
UPDATE!! (5-24-2022)

So, the ant nest was...not the best idea. I just went to check on my ants, and couldn't see very many of them wandering around in the outworld, so I looked around. That was when I noticed a worker checking out the nest! I thought: "Oh that's awesome! Maybe they're finally thinking about moving out of their acorn!" I figured that I should check to make sure that the water beads which are underneath the set-up were still full of water, so the humidity would be good. So, I carefully removed the bottom, which housed the water beads.

That was when I realized that no, they were not planning on moving into the nest.

No, instead, they had realized that they could get out through some small crack in the nest, of which I couldn't see.

I was able to carefully pick them up and place them back in the outworld with a q-tip and a small paper, and I believe I got most of them. But OH BOY, was that stressful! I have now disconnected the nest and plugged up the connection spot with a *** SPAM ***, making sure that it was packed very tightly, and then taped on the outside, to make sure they can't get through.
I found out my tetromorium calridium(Same size as acorn ants, same look, but they don’t live in acorns and have different head shape) could get through AC plugs. They were all over! And they sting so…(Luckily for you, acorn ants are peaceful)
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

robyn13572
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2022 10:09 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Temnothorax curvispinosus (acorn ants)

Post: # 92707Post robyn13572
Wed May 25, 2022 9:30 am

SolenopsisKeeper wrote:
Tue May 24, 2022 9:08 pm
robyn13572 wrote:
Tue May 24, 2022 7:51 pm
UPDATE!! (5-24-2022)

So, the ant nest was...not the best idea. I just went to check on my ants, and couldn't see very many of them wandering around in the outworld, so I looked around. That was when I noticed a worker checking out the nest! I thought: "Oh that's awesome! Maybe they're finally thinking about moving out of their acorn!" I figured that I should check to make sure that the water beads which are underneath the set-up were still full of water, so the humidity would be good. So, I carefully removed the bottom, which housed the water beads.

That was when I realized that no, they were not planning on moving into the nest.

No, instead, they had realized that they could get out through some small crack in the nest, of which I couldn't see.

I was able to carefully pick them up and place them back in the outworld with a q-tip and a small paper, and I believe I got most of them. But OH BOY, was that stressful! I have now disconnected the nest and plugged up the connection spot with a *** SPAM ***, making sure that it was packed very tightly, and then taped on the outside, to make sure they can't get through.
I found out my tetromorium calridium(Same size as acorn ants, same look, but they don’t live in acorns and have different head shape) could get through AC plugs. They were all over! And they sting so…(Luckily for you, acorn ants are peaceful)
Oh no!! Yeah, thankfully acorn ants are peaceful haha. Sorry to hear that you went through the same thing!!
I'm new to the hobby :)
Currently keeping:
1 Temnothorax curvispinosus colony
2 Camponotus pennsylvanicus queens

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: Temnothorax curvispinosus (acorn ants)

Post: # 92711Post SolenopsisKeeper
Wed May 25, 2022 9:52 am

robyn13572 wrote:
Wed May 25, 2022 9:30 am
SolenopsisKeeper wrote:
Tue May 24, 2022 9:08 pm
robyn13572 wrote:
Tue May 24, 2022 7:51 pm
UPDATE!! (5-24-2022)

So, the ant nest was...not the best idea. I just went to check on my ants, and couldn't see very many of them wandering around in the outworld, so I looked around. That was when I noticed a worker checking out the nest! I thought: "Oh that's awesome! Maybe they're finally thinking about moving out of their acorn!" I figured that I should check to make sure that the water beads which are underneath the set-up were still full of water, so the humidity would be good. So, I carefully removed the bottom, which housed the water beads.

That was when I realized that no, they were not planning on moving into the nest.

No, instead, they had realized that they could get out through some small crack in the nest, of which I couldn't see.

I was able to carefully pick them up and place them back in the outworld with a q-tip and a small paper, and I believe I got most of them. But OH BOY, was that stressful! I have now disconnected the nest and plugged up the connection spot with a *** SPAM ***, making sure that it was packed very tightly, and then taped on the outside, to make sure they can't get through.
I found out my tetromorium calridium(Same size as acorn ants, same look, but they don’t live in acorns and have different head shape) could get through AC plugs. They were all over! And they sting so…(Luckily for you, acorn ants are peaceful)
Oh no!! Yeah, thankfully acorn ants are peaceful haha. Sorry to hear that you went through the same thing!!
Hey, at least the queen didn’t escape in my situation. That would have been bad for me, as this species multiplies quickly, forming multi queen colonies with 10’s of thousands of workers…(Your queen didn’t leave, as their would be almost no ants in outworld)
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

robyn13572
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2022 10:09 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Temnothorax curvispinosus (acorn ants)

Post: # 92713Post robyn13572
Wed May 25, 2022 10:13 am

SolenopsisKeeper wrote:
Wed May 25, 2022 9:52 am
robyn13572 wrote:
Wed May 25, 2022 9:30 am
SolenopsisKeeper wrote:
Tue May 24, 2022 9:08 pm


I found out my tetromorium calridium(Same size as acorn ants, same look, but they don’t live in acorns and have different head shape) could get through AC plugs. They were all over! And they sting so…(Luckily for you, acorn ants are peaceful)
Oh no!! Yeah, thankfully acorn ants are peaceful haha. Sorry to hear that you went through the same thing!!
Hey, at least the queen didn’t escape in my situation. That would have been bad for me, as this species multiplies quickly, forming multi queen colonies with 10’s of thousands of workers…(Your queen didn’t leave, as their would be almost no ants in outworld)
Wow, yeah I'm glad your queen didn't get out! That wouldn't have been good at ALL.

Also, I mean, there really weren't a lot of ants in the outworld, which was one of the reasons I went looking for them. But it didn't seem like any of the escaped ants were carrying brood or eggs, so I agree that the queen probably didn't escape :)
I'm new to the hobby :)
Currently keeping:
1 Temnothorax curvispinosus colony
2 Camponotus pennsylvanicus queens

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