BluMoon's Ant Keeping Journey

[BluMoon]

Hello there! This is my first time keeping ants (or rather a ant right now), and I have decided to keep a journal so I can record this exciting journey.
Here is photo of my queen ant, caught in Australia about a week ago:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Jtj28wobuErJdRIriX8w0RCfQvJUcNA/view?usp=drivesdk

I believe her to be Tetramorium, but if you have any idea on what else she could possibly be, or what species she is exactly, feel free to say so.

Best wishes to everybody keeping ants!

[BluMoon]

So . . . it has been a long time since any sort of update here (hehe...).
I have decided to just do a quick little entry on what has happened during the past couple of months:

1. caught queen ant no.1 https://drive.google.com/open?id=10Jtj28wobuErJdRIriX8w0RCfQvJUcNA
2. learned that she may be tetramorium or solenopsis fugax
3. transferred queen to dirt container -what a noob i am-
4. no idea whether she is alive -super noob-

5. caught a second queen ant, don't know if she is fertile https://drive.google.com/open?id=12E-LdBh78HcCFRk_gGPbhjn8r8-uZydI
6. trying to find out what species

7. now thinking of buying strobe ant queen

And there you have it, the events of the past few months.
Thanks for reading, hopefully I will have some GOOD updates next time

[BluMoon]

So just a small little thing, I have decided to free the second queen ant (species unidentified) and will be getting the Strobe Ant queen soon

[BluMoon]

Strobe ant has arrived

Blurry picture: https://drive.google.com/open?id=136LdS9cvuikeIIJ6cEv-cyzxHCjFKKgR

Any tips on care? Please tell me, greatly appreciated

[BluMoon]

All ant keeping products received, now I think that I will wait a while, until the queen has her nanitics. When that happens, I shall follow Mikey's tutorial on that, and pop a bottle of champagne just kidding
So the plan was initially to move her into the founding nest once it arrived, but she seemed so happy (but also kinda bored) shifting her eggs and larvae around in the test tube, so I think I'll move her in later.
Can't wait

[BluMoon]

So I keep having this dilemma where I decide to check on my queen on Sundays, but I end up losing my patience on Thursday or Friday, and check on her then instead of Sunday

But anyways, it looks like most of the OG eggs -haha- have become larvae -noice-
I checked on her before I got ready to go to bed, and she is -thank God- still alive.
She hasn't moved into her formicarium yet, which is totally fine with me.

I kinda felt like a mad scientist when I drew up the water into the syringe
Gives me some entertainment in covid.

Stay safe dudes (by dudes i mean everyone)
God Bless (soz if you aint religious)
Cya

[BluMoon]

Today I am planning to attempt to move Queen Carnelian. Since she didn't seem to be bothered by the light when I first tried to move her, I'm planning to perhaps also use a heat pocket, but of course keep an eye on her so she doesn't get fried.
Right now, she is in a set up where her test tube is connected to the founding nest. I'm hoping she can move into the founding nest so that I don't have to worry about the test tube falling out, or not being able to pull my drawer far out enough to get a good look at the founding nest and inject the water.
Also as you saw at the start of the post, I have named her Queen Carnelian. This is after her orange colour, like the gemstone carnelian.

Here is a recent photo of her, not very good quality though
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rjCFWCZ7BD47gF8fr-n0wYqFdiu1aLCb/view?usp=sharing

[BluMoon]

Currently in the process of moving Carnelian. She didn't seem very frightened by the light, but now appears more stressed with the addition of heat. Will I accidentally fry her D:> I really hope I don't!

[BluMoon]

Currently in the process of moving Carnelian. She didn't seem very frightened by the light, but now appears more stressed with the addition of heat. Will I accidentally fry her D:> I really hope I don't!

So after a while of her frantically moving around, she stood really still for a moment and her legs looked they they were about to curl up and die :$ so I ended up disconnecting her test tube from the founding nest and now I just have to find a place for her as the drawer above her is about to get busy with life working its way back to 'normal'

Quite a couple larvae so hopefully I can inform you with some good news in a couple week