My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

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

Re: My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

Post: # 69158Post CANant
Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:16 am

First hunt! I added approximately 20 live and killed flightless fruit flies. It was so much fun watching them hunt.

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Keeper of:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

Temnothorax ambiguus/curvispinosus (Acorn ant)

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

🐜❤️

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

Re: My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

Post: # 69159Post CANant
Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:29 am

April 16
I have over 25 workers now and many piles of brood at different stages. They seem to be moving them into smaller piles in different locations of the nest depending on their needs. Some close to a bit of bug protein, some close to a cotton plug and some over the heat cable or under the queen.
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Keeper of:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

Temnothorax ambiguus/curvispinosus (Acorn ant)

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

🐜❤️

User avatar
CabboAntsGuy
Posts: 506
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 3:32 pm
Location: Wisconsin, U.S.

Re: My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

Post: # 69163Post CabboAntsGuy
Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:56 am

Looking good. Is there a major of sorts now?
Keep:
3 camponotus pennsylvanicus
2 formica subsericea
The Camponotus Crew! https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=15267
Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

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

Re: My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

Post: # 69164Post CANant
Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:59 am

CabboAntsGuy wrote:
Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:56 am
Looking good. Is there a major of sorts now?
I believe I have 3 you can see in the last post the brown coloured ants and one black with the very big gasters and larger heart shaped heads.
Keeper of:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

Temnothorax ambiguus/curvispinosus (Acorn ant)

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

🐜❤️

User avatar
CabboAntsGuy
Posts: 506
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 3:32 pm
Location: Wisconsin, U.S.

Re: My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

Post: # 69166Post CabboAntsGuy
Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:00 am

Yeah, I didn't know that Campos had majors. I'm a little out of practice I guess. :lol:
Keep:
3 camponotus pennsylvanicus
2 formica subsericea
The Camponotus Crew! https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=15267
Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

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

Re: My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

Post: # 69168Post CANant
Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:06 am

CabboAntsGuy wrote:
Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:00 am
Yeah, I didn't know that Campos had majors. I'm a little out of practice I guess. :lol:
Ya just not super majors from what I’ve read. At least for Camponotus Pennsylvanicus.
Just counted 29-30 workers and I believe 4 are majors.
Keeper of:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

Temnothorax ambiguus/curvispinosus (Acorn ant)

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

🐜❤️

User avatar
CabboAntsGuy
Posts: 506
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 3:32 pm
Location: Wisconsin, U.S.

Re: My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

Post: # 69169Post CabboAntsGuy
Sun Apr 19, 2020 12:41 pm

Wow! I think I found a potentially good food source for my ants. I Ice fish up here, and we use what we call "wax worms", which are basically grubs. I hope the ants will like these, because we have a bunch.
Keep:
3 camponotus pennsylvanicus
2 formica subsericea
The Camponotus Crew! https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=15267
Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

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

Re: My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

Post: # 69173Post CANant
Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:15 pm

CabboAntsGuy wrote:
Sun Apr 19, 2020 12:41 pm
Wow! I think I found a potentially good food source for my ants. I Ice fish up here, and we use what we call "wax worms", which are basically grubs. I hope the ants will like these, because we have a bunch.
Yep I feed wax worms. Actually fed one today.
Keeper of:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

Temnothorax ambiguus/curvispinosus (Acorn ant)

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

🐜❤️

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

Re: My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

Post: # 69651Post CANant
Sat May 02, 2020 11:24 am

Update! Definitely over 40 ants now. Many new eggs, pupae of all sizes and larvae at all instar stages.

Image
Keeper of:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

Temnothorax ambiguus/curvispinosus (Acorn ant)

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

🐜❤️

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

Re: My journey keeping a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony

Post: # 69983Post CANant
Fri May 15, 2020 8:40 pm

BIG UPDATE!

May 14 - It’s moving day!

There are 55+ workers now so I decided to give them access to their new AC hybrid Camponotus nest. Plus I needed to redo the PPTFE barrier as well because I could see it wasn’t working as well as before. During this process one got out. I was able to direct her back into the outworld without too much stress, however now she had a taste of freedom lol and for quite a while she checked every possible spot at the top to find an exit point. :o

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Less than 10 mins they started moving in and within an hour almost all had moved minus the Queen, a few workers and a new batch of eggs. By morning they were all settled into their new home. I rearranged some tubes and connectors and I’m very pleased with how it looks.

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Remember the little worker that was diligently trying to find a way out of the outworld? Well she was attempting to chew through the plug vent holes for a solid 10-12 hrs. I was forced to add another bit of tubing and a test tube at the end so she would stop. Man she was persistent. She seemed content with the changes and began foraging in the outworld.

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I left an AC portal connected to the formicarium because they were throwing their garbage there and I was hoping they would keep doing that. They had other plans it seems and moved it all into their nest. Ugh Bad idea on my part I guess.
They have also dragged in soil from the outworld into the tubes at the entrances of the formicarium. They’ve done this before so I wasn’t surprised.
Keeper of:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

Temnothorax ambiguus/curvispinosus (Acorn ant)

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

🐜❤️

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