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Post by crockatt on Aug 23, 2012 20:33:48 GMT
Well my girls are out and about drinking honeywater and having some fresh killed wasp, do not know if the late afternoon sun has got them out or the fresh kill but they do seem to come out for the fresh kill and totally ignore the fresh frozen crickets and mealworms!!! I hope they get a taste for them as I think I have enough frozen to last yrs, but if its fresh they want then I will stick with that for now as I would rather they got a good feed for their long sleep. Havent checked my other queen today, am leaving her for a few days maybe check monday.
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Post by crockatt on Aug 24, 2012 23:00:00 GMT
My ladies seem to be abit more active lately or I am noticing more, plenty food and fluid intake, but was concerned tonight to discover mould beginning to grow on their honey/water cottonwool, I change this regular every other day, as I have mentioned before the tank is smelling fusty, I have already added extra air holes, but am unsure how to progress, do not know wether to leave them in their home and try to use something else for a lid? Or bite the bullet and try to dig them out and put in a proper bought home, I really donot want to do this, as I would not know where to start and am sure it would end in workers, brood and even queen getting injured or killed and also the very good chance of ants running wild in my room. any advice would be good, of cause if you think the last opion is best then so be it, would rather get them resettled before autum hits.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Aug 25, 2012 7:28:40 GMT
Wads of cotton wool soaked in honey water behave oddly, as some never grow mould or fungi on them, while some do. I have found the best way to try and stop this is to make the honey water solution a bit stronger, as honey is a natural antiseptic and anti bacterial fluid. Or just use a drop of pure honey minus the water; but in this case make sure the ants have another source of drinking water as too much honey or sugar may dehydrate the ants, so they do need to drink.
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Post by crockatt on Aug 25, 2012 7:52:35 GMT
Thanks will try that
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Post by crockatt on Aug 27, 2012 9:40:03 GMT
Well my nigers still show face now and again, but have come to the hard decision that I am going to have to try and move them (I have bought an antworld) the tank stinks of damp and also having made the mistake of using unsterilised earth out of the garden, I am seeing small slugs and other creatures and even have seedlings beginning to grow!!! fingers crossed the move goes well, I will let you know in due course, still waiting on delivery of the new home. As for my lem queen, had thought when I checked her a few days ago that I had made the soil too wet, so was prepered this morning with new soil sand mix which is much drier but damp, I quickly caught her she was sitting on the wall of the tub, so was easy done, and quickly changed the soil, I have also moved her to where I think it is warmer, as I think it was too cool where I had her, so hopefully this will help, will leave her now again for a few days and see what happens.
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Post by crockatt on Aug 27, 2012 21:30:33 GMT
Think I actually caught sight of my niger queen tonight, with the aid of a torch and magnifying glass, it is the first time I have seen her since they were realised into the tank and she is under the stone I managed to knock over in an earlier accident!!! it is really good to know she is still alive.
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Post by crockatt on Aug 31, 2012 13:47:14 GMT
My antworld arrived today, so have moved my colony in, must say I hated having to disrupt them as my queen has been doing well out of sight from all , there are I think 3 new girls a lot of eggs(would of been more but I damaged some by accident) and am sure there are 3 larvae, have left them to settle, but have to say you guys do great with your photos and knowing what brood you have, I use a magnifying glass and still cannot see enough to count individual eggs how do you do it!!!
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Post by crockatt on Aug 31, 2012 22:00:41 GMT
Just returned from work, to be informed I had an escapee, which was returned to the antworld, there is digging going on to the far side, the queen is still on top with a very large bundle of eggs, so hopefully they are settling into their new home, I hope they find their food pot, I would hate for them to go hungry but sure they will as everyone elses ants seem to manage, I look forward to seeing their progress tomorrow.
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Post by crockatt on Sept 2, 2012 15:11:47 GMT
Am really glad I moved my little colony to the antworld, it is great seeing all the activity and the queen, they were busy last night moving some bits of cut up flies into the nest , one is still in the tube, there is still a bigger pile of brood and a smaller one which I presume is eggs, I know there is some lavea, but finding it really difficult to tell the difference with them being so small and behind the red acetate, I have been driven to order a pair of magnifiying glasses in a vain hope of seeing more detail.
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Post by crockatt on Sept 2, 2012 15:47:22 GMT
Think I have just seen a big larva chewing on a bit of fly, thought it had a small stone stuck to it but the workers were not moving it off, then I seen some legs sticking out, do larva eat like this? I thought the workers would pre-chew food first?
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Post by TenebrousNova on Sept 2, 2012 15:53:33 GMT
Think I have just seen a big larva chewing on a bit of fly, thought it had a small stone stuck to it but the workers were not moving it off, then I seen some legs sticking out, do larva eat like this? I thought the workers would pre-chew food first? I have noticed that larvae don't necessarily have to be directly fed by workers. If they're close enough, they'll stretch towards a food source and help themselves. This is why eggs are often kept separate from the larvae, because otherwise they might get eaten. Here's a good example courtesy of Batspiderfish:
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Post by crockatt on Sept 2, 2012 16:11:33 GMT
Yes have noticed the eggs are on the opposite side of the nest and think there are 2 larvae near the fly, thanks for that, it is so much more interesting when you can see whats going on.
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Post by crockatt on Sept 5, 2012 8:56:17 GMT
My girls are doing well but do think they are slowing up in the morning, sometimes its like someone has just switched them off mid flow !!! Makes me concerned for the eggs that are there, think there is about 20 I do not hold out much hope for them but am willing them to get to cocoon stage before the big sleep, I have 2 larvae one big one which I keep checking to see if its cocooned and a smaller one, hopefully they will make it. my lem queen does nothing she is always in the same position when I check her, she hasnt dug in or anything, just sits on top of the soil, there is honey water in with her, should I maybe try to feed her a drop of honey?! I think she looks miserable if thats possible for an ant any suggestions?
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Post by crockatt on Sept 6, 2012 8:58:18 GMT
I am very happy this morning, I have my first cocoon (first that I have seen) and its so big, I cannot see the other larva but sure its there some where, the eggs are getting bigger, they seem to all be around the same size, so if they hatch to larva I would imagine I will have to do more insect hunting as my girls seem to prefer fresh food and especially spiders, oh I hope they hurry it would double my colony before winter if they make it and would be a good sign for them seeing their long sleep out I think.
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Post by crockatt on Sept 7, 2012 11:39:31 GMT
Well after a bit of disruption from me damping the soil in my farm I decided to give my girls some fresh food, a tiny spider and greenfly both were dead so I thought, till the greenfly started walking about, so spots an ant coming into the tube to the pot and thought this will be fun, so she enters the pot, turns round spots the greenfly , does a hop, skip and a jump and legs it back up the tube, it really amused me, was hopeing she was getting friends to help but nothing yet, had a quick check of my lem queen and she has been digging, so hopefully she is settling down more but still no eggs.
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