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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2012 20:42:18 GMT 1
My journal for my new ant colony
Lasius Niger.
18th September 2012
The queen, workers and farm arrived today, I was very gentle carrying the box which I realise now was probably the smoothest part of their journey. The test tube was quickly examined before I covered them to keep them in the dark. I counted around 20 workers with 10 eggs/larvae (my eyes aren't quite good enough with my experience to tell the difference yet) and at least one cocoon.
I set up the farm and arena, all according to the information I gathered on here, placed a drop of the honey food mixture that came with the ants and put the tube into the arena. there was a lot of frenzied activity to eat the honey mix but they all seem to have settled down now. Hopefully they didn't suffer too much stress from the journey and they settle in soon, I'm looking forward to them being brave enough to start exploring.
Very excited to have them and I have already caught myself talking to them like I would a cat or larger animal.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2012 21:43:31 GMT 1
If you can take a picture if your ant farm, do it! ;D I think we have the same ants/ant farm, and I think it's cool to see how you decorated/handled your farm! Keep us updated!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2012 21:59:48 GMT 1
If you can try and connect the test tube to the nesting area with a bit of tubing. This will help to speed up the process.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2012 23:30:00 GMT 1
As soon as I posted that first entry, one of the girls decided she was restless and proceeded to try blocking up the entrance to the tube with the limited resources available. She gave up after half an hour but it was fascinating to watch her. Was like she was thinking it through (with her tiny ant brain but still more thought than Ive seen from some humans)
She eventually gave up and proceeded to explore the arena, going as far as 3 inches into the tube. Such an inquisitive little insect. Some of the others approached the end of the tube but non have exited and most seem happy to just hang around the queen with the brood which is fair. The queen has also done a fair amount of turning around, no idea what that means though.
I'm going to expand on the arena contents when they have moved into the nest box by adding sand to about 4mm depth and I'll leave the twigs Ive set up for a ladder in there to make life easier when it comes to moving.
And yes, they are sat on a storage heater at the moment, but they will be moved long before it gets turned on so no one should worry about them. Can't let Ann and her children come to any harm.
Do shout and scream if anyone sees anything wrong or can give advice on anything I have done so far. www.flickr.com/photos/87278718@N04/8001196065/in/photostream
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2012 21:59:13 GMT 1
20th September
Hey guys, nothing really different, I noticed that the glass of the arena and farm felt very cold to the touch even though the room isn't that cold so I raised the arena from the metal surface it was on (hindsight is a lovely ability) Also set up a lamp shining onto the covered nest box to try heating it up a little.
One of the workers, seems to be the same one as previous, continues her exploration, I have seen her go into the next box twice now, but I'm willing to say she has been in there more whilst I'm working.
Killed a fly and threw it into the arena, it was found quickly by lady explorer and she quickly went back for her sisters, three others went to it and proceeded to spend a couple hours going backward and forward rooting around on the flies neck and around its wings (are these soft bits?) whilst the finder went back to her explorations.
The queen has been very active, since arriving and being fed her brood has doubled in size (maybe 20-25 eggs/larvae/cocoons now) she doesn't seem bothered at all by the light either.
The temperature has dropped a little over the past two days but hopefully it picks up soon.
I am curious, could it be several months until the ants move into the nest box? And how destroyed do any insects need to be before being fed to the ants (like completely smooshed or just a quick thwack and left intact but dead?)?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2012 22:04:32 GMT 1
Good to hear your colony is doing well. A quick thwack would do it but if you cut the insect in half it can become a lot easier for your ants to lap up the juices.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2012 21:55:25 GMT 1
Cutting them up? Sounds too much like coddling to me, Ill smoosh and let them deal with the remains.
21/9/12
Wonderful news, first open coccoon has been discarded by the colony and a new worker with a very pale abdomen (darkening as time goes by) has been spotted.
Also the fly I put in has been removed so it doesnt go mouldy. But it wasnt removed before the workers tore off 5 legs and carried them to the brood. I cant see it too clearly but it looks like the workrs are moving them around to feed the larvae more easily.
They havent touched any of the honey solution that came with them and havent since that initial feeding on the first day even though they have found subsequent drops each time, I've been replacing it every 24 hours and only placing a small drop. They must be fine.
Found one of the workers moving sand into the connecting tube aswell so I'm hoping the next box has been identified as a warmer, darker and more humid place more suitable to a nest.
I'll stop documenting everything once I'm more confident that I am doing the right things so if you are getting bored, just come back in a month or so
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2012 21:56:10 GMT 1
26th September 2012
I lost a worker today, I found her at the bottom of the smallest bead of water I've ever seen, only just bigger that her. I moved her out of the tank and blew on her to dry her off to see if she would stir but she didnt, searched the forums high and low for any techniques but nothing I found helped.
Can't believe I'm as sad about it as I am.
They have been ignoring all sugar based food stuffs over the past 4 days but have been all over any protein and insects I've managed to catch but it has been 3 days since the last one, just cant keep an eye on them long enough to strike.
Anyone got any advice for catching bugs that might help?
Also I'm thinking of luring some moths in at night, I have done a quick search online and have found information saying the local species poisonous body fluids., any truth in this?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2012 22:24:25 GMT 1
It is very upsetting when you loose your first worker. You get used to it don't worry. I'm not sure about moths having poisonous body fluids. Mine always seem to be fine.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 9:06:02 GMT 1
I have fed my Messors a moth, with a trimmed wing, but for wild insects, I wouldn't recomend feeding them a ear wig, they have pincers at the back. Maybe some beatle larvae if you find some?
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Post by Myrm on Sept 27, 2012 10:06:05 GMT 1
If you killed the earwig first then it'd be fine to give to your ants. My Ln are currently on a diet of mealworm bettles.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2012 0:18:49 GMT 1
7th October 2012
So it turns out ants are scary when you put dead greenfly into the foraging arena. Tore 5 (quite large and winged) to pieces and fed them to the brood in less than 30 minutes.
Scary level of proficiency at dismemberment.
They don't seem to be eating any of the honey solution I feed them. There are around 20 ants and a queen, I place a 1mm bead of the solution into a food holder every 3/4 days and I have seen them find it but they just aren't interested (unless they eat whilst I'm at work but the amount never seems to reduce) Anyone got any suggestions what might be happening? I'm thinking they just don't need as much food as they are given and the bugs I give them are covering everything they need
No new workers since the first empty cocoon but it should only be a day or two till the latest set of cocooned workers emerge.
Activity seems to have been reduced as well, not seen them exploring anywhere near as much for a while. I'm guessing it is a numbers thing and once more workers are around they will take to exploration again.
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