C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

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Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

Post: # 61272Post Hawkeye
Mon Jul 22, 2019 5:54 am

Nice video, that lens certainly makes a difference. I wish my colony grew as fast as yours. So far my colonies haven't shown much interest in any insects I offered, so I tried some peanut butter yesterday. Turns out both my queens like it. It a source for both protein and carbohydrates so I'll definitely keep that in mind for the future.

sartwell90
Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:46 pm
Location: South East Michigan

Re: C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

Post: # 61753Post sartwell90
Mon Jul 29, 2019 5:47 pm

It's been a second but I am working on a couple updates for the colonies, but here's a brief update to keep you all in the loop.

Last I counted the C. nova colony is up to 13 workers, and it also appears the queen has decided her mega stack of eggs, larvae and pupae is enough to last until winter. She has stopped laying as many eggs, I'm glad she's taking a break.

Conservative estimate of the colony size before hibernation I'd say is 30+ workers.

The main Tetramorium colony is up to 3 workers and lots of big larvae that I'm guessing will pupate soon. They are more photo-sensitive then the C. nova colony and much smaller, so getting footage has been more of a challenge. I am determined to beat this challenge though, and will update you as soon as Manwolf's Marauders has their first big video debut.

Currently, I am waiting for some supplies to get here which will be used for later updates too.
Check out my colonies! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDze5idJomnpRCpvd3QoAFA
Or, if you would rather read about them check here - https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?p=60680#p60680

sartwell90
Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:46 pm
Location: South East Michigan

Re: C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

Post: # 61893Post sartwell90
Fri Aug 02, 2019 4:14 pm

Okay, so time for an update!

First off, I do have a new debut video of the Tetramorium queen who has eclosed 3 foreign pupae and has a bounty of healthy brood they are rearing together - yay brood boosting! You can check out the video here: https://youtu.be/Fzdmql34fBU

Now, for the people here at the forum, I'd like to offer a sneak peak into the new budget outworld that The Carpenters have to stomp around in. It was made using a biome kit from the AntsCanada store here, and a $6 small acrylic creature keeper that can be found in most pet stores. It's worth noting that I am using a fluon barrier to keep the ants in, with a barrier applied to the outside to dissuade foreign invaders. This type of barrier and housing would not work for my Tetramorium ants due to their better climbing capabilities and the face the openings in the top are large enough for even one of The Carpenters to escape - that is if they could climb better!
Image

I'll have a video showing the ants enjoying their new home up soon!

In other other news, I have a successful 5-queen Tetramorium experiment going right now. It is actually my 3rd Tetramorium colony, the other will be revealed later. I've been taking note of some of the ant activity in my yard and believe that there is a chance that some of the colonies nearby have been becoming polygynous, I could be wrong and once the workers start arriving I might be greeted with a terrible find - but these ant queens were actually all rescues from a recently shocked pool (high chlorine content) seeing that all 5 appear to be laying and tending to eggs alone is neat. What durability for such small creatures! Admittedly, there were 2 queens that were not so lucky, and regrettably died, likely due to prolonged exposure to such inhospitable water before I rescued them. Still, 5/7 is better than I expected from those circumstances.

With them being so early in the colony founding, I'll have more photos of them later, maybe even demonstrating true polygynous behavior.

In other other other news, I have started a roach colony consisting of around 100 second instar and 25 fifth instar Blaptica dubia roaches. Hopefully among the 125 roaches we will see some reach adulthood to breed and provide a sustainable source of protein for my growing ant collection!

Hope everything is going well in all the other endeavors happening around the forum and happy anting!
Check out my colonies! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDze5idJomnpRCpvd3QoAFA
Or, if you would rather read about them check here - https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?p=60680#p60680

CANant
Posts: 379
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 1:04 am
Location: Paris, Ontario

Re: C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

Post: # 61912Post CANant
Fri Aug 02, 2019 11:54 pm

Awesome posts and photos sartwell90!
I have an almost identical setup but mine is a Pennsylvanicus queen. I had Novaeboracensis ages ago (missed the nuptial flights this year I think) and loved them but this Pennsylvanicus queen literally found me so she’s a keeper. ;)
Keeper of:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

Temnothorax ambiguus/curvispinosus (Acorn ant)

Lasius Interjectus (Larger citronella ant) with host workers: L. Americanus

🐜❤️

sartwell90
Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:46 pm
Location: South East Michigan

Re: C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

Post: # 61945Post sartwell90
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:29 am

CANant wrote:
Fri Aug 02, 2019 11:54 pm
Awesome posts and photos sartwell90!
I have an almost identical setup but mine is a Pennsylvanicus queen. I had Novaeboracensis ages ago (missed the nuptial flights this year I think) and loved them but this Pennsylvanicus queen literally found me so she’s a keeper. ;)
Thanks CANant!

One of my Tetramorium queens literally fell onto my ant desk this year, so I get where you are coming from there. She landed straight on an AntsCanada antstower and now has her claustral chamber set up in the same tower. She's not really been featured yet but that's more because she is hardly visible most of the time! :P

I've seen you post over in the camponotus crew, any plans to share your colony over in the journals? I love being able to follow peoples projects this way so I'd definitely stop by.
Check out my colonies! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDze5idJomnpRCpvd3QoAFA
Or, if you would rather read about them check here - https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?p=60680#p60680

Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

Post: # 61948Post Hawkeye
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:36 am

Glad to hear your colonies are doing so well!

sartwell90
Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:46 pm
Location: South East Michigan

Re: C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

Post: # 61950Post sartwell90
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:49 am

Hawkeye wrote:
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:36 am
Glad to hear your colonies are doing so well!
Thanks! I'm trying to keep up to date on the on-goings around the forum but I haven't been receiving any new notifications since one on July 20th. I see CANant might not be getting notifications too. Wondering if any moderators are aware of this, I might send one a note. Have you had any similar issues?

In the meantime I'm trying to check things out manually.
Check out my colonies! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDze5idJomnpRCpvd3QoAFA
Or, if you would rather read about them check here - https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?p=60680#p60680

Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

Post: # 61951Post Hawkeye
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:50 am

sartwell90 wrote:
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:49 am
Hawkeye wrote:
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:36 am
Glad to hear your colonies are doing so well!
Thanks! I'm trying to keep up to date on the on-goings around the forum but I haven't been receiving any new notifications since one on July 20th. I see CANant might not be getting notifications too. Wondering if any moderators are aware of this, I might send one a note. Have you had any similar issues?

In the meantime I'm trying to check things out manually.
I just check the site and use the 'my posts' link

sartwell90
Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:46 pm
Location: South East Michigan

Re: C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

Post: # 61952Post sartwell90
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:54 am

Hawkeye wrote:
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:50 am
sartwell90 wrote:
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:49 am
Hawkeye wrote:
Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:36 am
Glad to hear your colonies are doing so well!
Thanks! I'm trying to keep up to date on the on-goings around the forum but I haven't been receiving any new notifications since one on July 20th. I see CANant might not be getting notifications too. Wondering if any moderators are aware of this, I might send one a note. Have you had any similar issues?

In the meantime I'm trying to check things out manually.
I just check the site and use the 'my posts' link
Yea, that's what I've been doing now that I realized what was going on - scrolling through my posts. Would be nice to have the notifications up and running though.
Check out my colonies! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDze5idJomnpRCpvd3QoAFA
Or, if you would rather read about them check here - https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?p=60680#p60680

CANant
Posts: 379
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 1:04 am
Location: Paris, Ontario

Re: C. noveboracensis and T. spE: My first dive into ant keeping

Post: # 61954Post CANant
Sat Aug 03, 2019 11:10 am

I actually didn’t know there were journals until your post in the Camponotus Crew post! Haha I may create one this week.
I did check I was still subscribed and bookmarked. It was very strange but since my post I have been getting notices again. Maybe it times out? Very odd.
Keeper of:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

Temnothorax ambiguus/curvispinosus (Acorn ant)

Lasius Interjectus (Larger citronella ant) with host workers: L. Americanus

🐜❤️

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