Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

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

Re: Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Post: # 69818Post Hawkeye
Fri May 08, 2020 6:58 am

SaturnsLastRing wrote:
Thu May 07, 2020 1:01 pm
Hawkeye wrote:
Wed May 06, 2020 12:41 pm
SaturnsLastRing wrote:
Tue May 05, 2020 6:17 am
Hi, I caught a Camponotus queen las summer on a hike and I put her in a test tube set up. She was lost during a move and I found her test tube a week ago in my closet. She seems to have produced nanitics, but they died (presumably from lack of food. She is still alive, so I was wondering if she will produce new nanitics, and also if she will be fine waiting until fall to enter diapause or if I should induce it now. Basically what should I do to restart the colony? I offered her some honey which she ate.
Thanks.
She must be starving. She'll need access to fresh
Water, protein (for egg production) and sugars (like the honey). You might want to consider moving her to a clean tube too
I live in Seattle. I moved her to a new tube with fresh water. And offered her some honey which she accepted. I guess now I'll offer her a piece of a cricket or something so she can get some protein.
Glad to hear she's doing okay and you moved her to a clean tube. If I were you, I would offer her some fruit flies. They are small enough for her to easilly manage and are full of protein. You can actually keep the fruit flies alive and fresh in the old tube, if you provide them with a piece of fruit like banana for instance. (I would prekill the fruitflies before offering them, so they don't crawl around in her testtube, which might elevate her stress levels)

Since you queen has completely drained her resources, she now will need to be fed regularly. I am not sure how big her appetite will be, but I'd start off with 2 flies a week and keep an eye on how quickly she eats them. If she leaves them be she's had her fill, if she devours them she will likely need more. Keep in mind that she'll need to feed the larvae and the nanitics as well by offering up predigested food to them.

Isoroku55
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2019 1:57 pm
Location: Czech Republic

Re: Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Post: # 69823Post Isoroku55
Fri May 08, 2020 11:29 am

Hawkeye wrote:
Fri May 08, 2020 5:52 am
Isoroku55 wrote:
Thu May 07, 2020 6:27 pm
Hi
Does anyone have any experience with Ytong nests for Camponotus Ligniperda/Heraculus? I've read that majors of some species can chew through it, so not sure, if i want to have it without glass/plastic enclosure.
I have a colony from last year, 7 workers and more on a way.
Thanks :)
Your colony won't have any majors until it gets a lot bigger. So the nest will do for the foreseeable time.
Thanks :) just finished carving and I end up with bigger formicarium then I was aiming for. It's not that big overkill, they'll grow into it in few months, worst case scenario, I'll have to make another one and move them.
Kinda like that I can be the "maker of their home" will finish the works over weekend and then move them.
That leads me to another question. I have a test tube in a box as outworld, but forget to add a tube connection. Any suggestions on how to move them? I was thinking about taking the test tube and putting it in another box with tubing, but one worker is ALWAYS in the outworld, so transport her by hand? Want it to be as stresless as possible.

ridgewalker
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2020 7:21 am
Location: Tennessee

Re: Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Post: # 69824Post ridgewalker
Fri May 08, 2020 12:48 pm

Hawkeye wrote:
Fri May 08, 2020 5:59 am
ridgewalker wrote:
Thu May 07, 2020 8:39 pm


Took a peak at my Camponotus Queen. I know it not the best picture. Trying not to disturb her. Anyways, I think I can about 10 or more eggs/or larva. Not really sure what I’m looking at. Looks like grains of rice. Wondering how more weeks it will be before the first ants to start hatch?
That depends on a number of things. First of all it differs between species (the larger the ant, the longer it takes), next the temperature is a factor (the warmer it gets the faster they develop), the care the eggs/larvae receive (they need to be cleaned and fed) which is impacted by the stress levels of your queen. If she feels safe and is undisturbed she'll likely provide much better care.

In general I'd say you're looking at at least a couple of weeks. You can probably find a good estimate for your species on antwiki.
Thanks,
CabboAntGuy told me she was a Camponotus pennsylvanicus. I keep her in the My kitchen cabinets. Temps inside the house is around 70. Can’t wait to see the first wave of workers to hatch

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

Re: Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Post: # 69825Post Hawkeye
Fri May 08, 2020 12:52 pm

Can you take the top off and insert a tube?

Isoroku55
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2019 1:57 pm
Location: Czech Republic

Re: Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Post: # 69827Post Isoroku55
Fri May 08, 2020 7:30 pm

Hawkeye wrote:
Fri May 08, 2020 12:52 pm
Can you take the top off and insert a tube?
Directly to the formicarium not. It has just tube connection. It's similar design to ants Australia Ytong nests. Moving queen and most workers is actually not a problem. But those workers that are outside are of my concern. They are pretty quick, and they've found a "hole" in my escape barrier. I've wanted to find some stresless option, but.... Lets be real. It's "just" a worker. She can deal with it.
BTW found 2 newborns today ^^ so happy to see that they're growing in numbers.
But they are making feeding difficult. Wanted to feed them protein jelly, but they don't like it. cricket leg "meh, not interested", live earthworm from my backyard "yummy" so live pray it is.... Probably small mealworms are a way to go? Or any other live suggestions for a colony of 9 workers?

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

Re: Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Post: # 69838Post CabboAntsGuy
Sat May 09, 2020 9:12 am

Hey Guys, sorry I've been off lately, Hope your colonies are all well, and welcome to all the new members of the crew.
Update-
My colony is growing! They have 6 or 7 pupae now and many more eggs and larvi on the way. My other two C. queens also have a few pupae. I'm excited for my other colonies to get workers but i'm worried about taking care of all of them, I hope I'll be able to. The heat cable has been working quite well I think, and I always see water droplets on the roof of the tube.
Hope your all well,

-Cabbo
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

SaturnsLastRing
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue May 05, 2020 6:13 am
Location: Renton, WA

Re: Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Post: # 69856Post SaturnsLastRing
Sat May 09, 2020 7:10 pm

Hawkeye wrote:
Fri May 08, 2020 6:58 am
SaturnsLastRing wrote:
Thu May 07, 2020 1:01 pm
Hawkeye wrote:
Wed May 06, 2020 12:41 pm


She must be starving. She'll need access to fresh
Water, protein (for egg production) and sugars (like the honey). You might want to consider moving her to a clean tube too
I live in Seattle. I moved her to a new tube with fresh water. And offered her some honey which she accepted. I guess now I'll offer her a piece of a cricket or something so she can get some protein.
Glad to hear she's doing okay and you moved her to a clean tube. If I were you, I would offer her some fruit flies. They are small enough for her to easilly manage and are full of protein. You can actually keep the fruit flies alive and fresh in the old tube, if you provide them with a piece of fruit like banana for instance. (I would prekill the fruitflies before offering them, so they don't crawl around in her testtube, which might elevate her stress levels)

Since you queen has completely drained her resources, she now will need to be fed regularly. I am not sure how big her appetite will be, but I'd start off with 2 flies a week and keep an eye on how quickly she eats them. If she leaves them be she's had her fill, if she devours them she will likely need more. Keep in mind that she'll need to feed the larvae and the nanitics as well by offering up predigested food to them.
Will do. I'm happy to report she has laid 5 eggs.

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

Re: Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Post: # 69867Post Hawkeye
Sun May 10, 2020 8:30 am

SaturnsLastRing wrote:
Sat May 09, 2020 7:10 pm
Hawkeye wrote:
Fri May 08, 2020 6:58 am
SaturnsLastRing wrote:
Thu May 07, 2020 1:01 pm


I live in Seattle. I moved her to a new tube with fresh water. And offered her some honey which she accepted. I guess now I'll offer her a piece of a cricket or something so she can get some protein.
Glad to hear she's doing okay and you moved her to a clean tube. If I were you, I would offer her some fruit flies. They are small enough for her to easilly manage and are full of protein. You can actually keep the fruit flies alive and fresh in the old tube, if you provide them with a piece of fruit like banana for instance. (I would prekill the fruitflies before offering them, so they don't crawl around in her testtube, which might elevate her stress levels)

Since you queen has completely drained her resources, she now will need to be fed regularly. I am not sure how big her appetite will be, but I'd start off with 2 flies a week and keep an eye on how quickly she eats them. If she leaves them be she's had her fill, if she devours them she will likely need more. Keep in mind that she'll need to feed the larvae and the nanitics as well by offering up predigested food to them.
Will do. I'm happy to report she has laid 5 eggs.
that's excellent news!

Isoroku55
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2019 1:57 pm
Location: Czech Republic

Re: Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Post: # 69872Post Isoroku55
Sun May 10, 2020 2:40 pm

Hi
Does anyone have any experience with feeding your ants stick bugs? Phasmatodea spp.? My friend has them and he need some way of reducing Numbers.
Thanks :)

Isoroku55
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2019 1:57 pm
Location: Czech Republic

Re: Welcome to the Camponotus Crew!

Post: # 69878Post Isoroku55
Mon May 11, 2020 2:03 am

Isoroku55 wrote:
Sun May 10, 2020 2:40 pm
Hi
Does anyone have any experience with feeding your ants stick bugs? Phasmatodea spp.? My friend has them and he need some way of reducing Numbers.
Thanks :)
it's Medaurodea extradentata spp

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