shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
Likes: 819
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Post by shane on May 17, 2018 16:17:16 GMT
Log: 17.05.2018 ===========
Was risky but I did try them on a dead house fly this morning, I put dead fly at entrance of there nest as there would just throw it out more if there dint like it.
Only 2 hours later two workers was just running around foraging tank in a panic but to a surprise there dint kick out the dead fly out, What I seen next shocked me. The queen had carried dead fly in nest and feeding on it like a savage animal , Her workers on other hand was in a panic like there dint know what to do, It looked like queen was trying to teach them to eat it or rip it to one of them but the other 3 just smelled at it and went in a panic.
I decided if queens eating it and trying to teach them to eat it I decided to block them in with fly, Workers are carme around queen and with queen on fly there dint panic much and even was tasting fly.
The queen was that distracted with fly eating it I could easy film them in test tube, The queen seems very fine with filming them.
I'll check in another 2 hours and see if there bin remines of fly or if there keep it in nest. ================================= =================================
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
Likes: 819
|
Post by shane on May 20, 2018 21:27:53 GMT
Log: 20.05.2018 ===========
Queens munching on a 3'd fly today even though the workers just don't seem to like flys, Queen seems to be doing all the feeding work after to the workers and the larvae.
One of the workers seems to always go looking for honey or other sweet's in foraging tank at odd times of day.
The larvae seem to be growing fast as well with queen feeding them.
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
Likes: 819
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Post by shane on May 23, 2018 22:54:55 GMT
Log: 24.05.2018 ============
The Queen seems to be doing all of the work with feeding the larvae and maybe even the workers. There's only now 3 workers as one of workers died yesterday but the larvae are growing but very slowly.
Queen seems happy feasting on a bit of cooked chicken today but the works seem to go on a panic spread running around as queen takes it in to nest, In end I had to block them in test tube with queen till workers settle with chicken.
I find it strange that Queen is fine with anything almost but the workers go all panicky and just seem to stop out side test tube. In end I have to let them crawl back in and block entrance, When there with queen there seem fine again and licking larvae and feeding them but I find it strange that queen feeds workers so workers feed larvae .
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
Likes: 819
|
Post by shane on May 28, 2018 21:23:38 GMT
Log: 28.05.2018 ===========
This colony seems to be picking up fine
I can only see 3 nice larvae in there I don't know where rest have gone " maybe eaten" there is also a stack of eggs on the cotton you can't see with workers.
Things maybe looking up for this colony but the 3 workers don't seem to give queen a chance to eat some times with moving out the dead fly before she even has a chance to eat it.
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
Likes: 819
|
Post by shane on Jun 7, 2018 15:41:31 GMT
Log: 07.06.2018 ===========
I was wondering why the workers would not keep in there test tube home with queen for last week.
Seem there was looking for a new home for queen scouting around, One of workers this morning decided to move the larvae and eggs next to there water tower in open but queen dint like the open and moved them back in test tube .
I had a look to see why workers wort happy with test tube and it was mould or something bad that was growing on cotton inside, Queen dint seem to mind it but workers kept away and wanted to go out.
I decided to make another clean test tube, I collected the 3 remaining workers and put them in side and blocked end The queen and larvae eggs was in old test tube and safe.
I connected to 2 together then let the cover off the old test tube and coved up the new, The workers seemed happy in new test tube and dint seem to wonder out as I connected them.
After about 2 hours the queen moved in with rest of her brood she had
I hope this time the workers don't decide to litter the foraging tank with larvae again for poor queen to only go out and collect them to put back in her roost den home in test tube where she seems to be happy.
Colony: 3 Poor Brood: 8 larvae ranging from very small to 1 medium and 5 eggs Queen: Fine seems happy and eating anything I lay at entrance once every 3 days.
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
Likes: 819
|
Post by shane on Jun 25, 2018 18:18:02 GMT
Log: 25.06.2018 ===========
The last worker for this colony died 2 days ago where she just spent her last days out side in foraging tank and not helping to do anything with leaver or queen, Even when I block them in test tube for days.
Seems this happens with all colony's I noticed when there workers are old or close to there last days as there stay out side of nest more and more till there abandon there nest duties all together.
Anyhow the queen has done about 100% of the work with the eggs and larvae as there workers more or less may have eaten them as I think The queen may have been boosted.
Now for the good news, Her first pupae
She has another 3 larvae that's a yellow colour and with looks of it her first worker will be really small. She does have about 7 eggs that's all over but she is taking most of her time cleaning the pupae, There also don't seem to cocoon.
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
Likes: 819
|
Post by shane on Jul 1, 2018 23:43:05 GMT
Log: 01.07.2018 ===========
As I feared the pupae had been eaten by queen , I left her for 3 or 4 days not to disturbed herm And yesterday when I checked it had gone along with most of the eggs.
There are still some larvae about 3 and one larger then the others that's yellow.
I do wonder if it is just queen still learning how to look after them right as she may have picked it up to hard or accidently thought it was food,
Time will tell and hope next one does cocoon so its not accidently eaten again.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 10, 2018 14:48:21 GMT
Shane's just told me that his queen has died so sadly, this journal has ended.
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