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Post by crockatt on Sept 11, 2012 17:33:27 GMT
Well all going well it seems, my queen is still laying eggs so I has quite a large ball of them now, am sure some of the older ones are small lavea now, they are taking food it seems to me about every 3 days, thought I give them fresh most days, they do like their spiders, they have never touched greenfly from what I can tell and seem to ignore live food even if its tiny, I imagine this may change when number increase. checked my lem queen today, no change she hasnt touched the drop of sugar water I placed ontop of her flat stone, it had a skin on it so I removed it, she does always have a source of sugar water in cotton wool with her, so she may drink from there. I have to say though that her gastor doesnt look as large as when I caught her, and she is still very skittish when I check, which is only for about a minute every 4 days.
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Post by crockatt on Sept 14, 2012 10:48:58 GMT
My girls are doing good, I have a large larva that I am sure will turn into a cocoon any day now and I have other larvae and eggs all at various stages, so hopefully will have a few new workers before winter hits.
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Post by crockatt on Sept 17, 2012 22:44:41 GMT
Well I now have 2 cocoons, the oldest one is turning slightly darker and a new one this morning, the brood has been seperated into 2 different piles each one containing a cocoon and larvae, the larva seem to be growing well, my make shift cover for them seems to be working well, the foraging pot is slightly steamed up when I take it off in the morning, so think it must keep things nice and snug. Have moved my lem queen into an antworld, so will see if anything comes of it but I have my doubts.
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Post by crockatt on Sept 18, 2012 16:32:09 GMT
Just seen a wonderful thing, my colony sits on top of the soil in little hollows they have dug out rather than in tunnels and chambers, so I decided to give them a mist, admittedly maybe a bit to vigorously, this in turn sent the ants into panic mode trying to move the brood, but not knowing where to put them (think they must of thought the great flood was coming) so the queen laid herself on her side in one of the hollows, and all the brood was placed on top of her, now thats what I call motherly love!!!! we can all learn a few things from the way ants work together, I have learned not to mist the antfarm too strongly.
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Post by crockatt on Sept 24, 2012 21:35:56 GMT
Well my girls are all well, I now have 3 cocoons maybe 4 and a large amount of larvae, seem to be finding it difficult to see much at the moment (must be my new specs), its not helping that the queen seems to have taken to be almost sitting ontop of the brood. I had tried placing the farm close to a radiator but it condensed up so badly that I could see nothing so have put it back to its original place, but continue to cover it at night.
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Post by crockatt on Oct 7, 2012 11:04:59 GMT
Well back from hols and my girls are fine, I have gave them a spider and honey water and have dampened the soil. I am sure I have just spotted my first callow (first that I have seen but not first to the colony) it was close to the queen but hid when I shined the light in for too long, she wasn't totally white so I reckoned she eclosed last night and the large cocoon is gone. there is also a large pile of larvae, I imagine these will mostly be over wintered as there is not enough time for them all to get to callow stage before winter.
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Post by crockatt on Oct 13, 2012 15:35:13 GMT
Well all beginning to slow down and was just thinking of putting the farm into my coldest room in the house, but have noticed there is still one cocoon left so I will wait till the last ant ecloses, which I do not think will be too long, then will move. There is about 20larvea left in the nest, hopefully they will make it thru winter
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Post by crockatt on Oct 18, 2012 13:37:36 GMT
Well thats my last cocoon hatched this morning, so time to sort out my girls's winter quarters, everything is slowing down, as I see so is the forum, I guess this happens every winter as everyone elses colonies slow down also, I must say I miss reading the daily updates and questions, but hopefully will still get odd reports from those keeping more tropical species and very much look forward to when its time for things to warm up and speed up.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Oct 18, 2012 16:20:12 GMT
You are right, this forum does follow the patterns of wild ants sometimes. It "hibernates" during the Winter and there's a lot more activity during the Summer when the new queens have mated, which is also when we get the most members joining.
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Post by crockatt on Nov 8, 2012 10:56:24 GMT
Well not much to report, I have moved the farm into my coldest room, havent seen any foraging for a couple weeks now so decided to stop feeding them, hope its not too soon, especially when at the moment we are having mild sunny days. there is still a big pile of larvae, hopefully they will see spring.
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Post by crockatt on Nov 16, 2012 5:14:13 GMT
Well everything seems fine, they seem to have started to cover over the front of the nest with soil, maybe this is to help keep the cold at bay, unfortunately it doesnt help with seeing what is going on!! but all seems fine, I still have my lem queen and she looks like she has bug a little too, but again think its a reaction to the cold. I still have my fingers crossed she will make it,but know the chances are slim, and I do not have the heart to ditch her outside when its too cold and as I will not be able to get a new one till next year, thought I would hold onto her till spring, you never know she may surprise me.
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Post by crockatt on Dec 10, 2012 23:16:49 GMT
Well my ants are now wrapped up and in the shed, after taking the temp in my spare room and finding it sitting at around 15°, I thought it best them outside, so they can go into full hibernation, so I recon this will be my last update till I bring them out again in feb time.
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Post by crockatt on Feb 11, 2013 16:13:32 GMT
Well brought my girls in today, they appear well seen movement from a worker and the queen, have gave honeywater so hopefully they will start waking soon. Also to my surprise my lone lem queen is still alive and even managed to get some honeywater to her and seen her taking a long drink, so who knows maybe have success yet. Am looking forward to watching my girls again, I have missed them.
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Post by crockatt on Feb 19, 2013 22:40:27 GMT
Well my girls seem to be warming up, up till yesterday had a good view of the queen, but they seem to have started to finally dig down, where last year the just stayed ontop of the soil, the queen seems to have gone down also, I can see some tunnels but no proper view inside them. I did see two workers moving around today, but as of yet have not seen any foraging but sure that will change in the coming weeks, so all seems well.
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Post by crockatt on Feb 25, 2013 10:41:57 GMT
Have seen nothing of this colony for a few days now, but they have made tunnels, and no doubt are fine and snug down below, we have had a turn in the weather the passed few days and its been bitterly cold, so am not worried at the lack of movement.
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