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Post by Jenny on Feb 26, 2012 21:28:46 GMT
Hi Philip welcome to the forum Never throw bits and pieces off formacariums away. We have a box full of tubing , plastic stops , test tubes etc., you'll find you will start collecting all sorts of useful stuff
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Post by philip369 on Feb 28, 2012 19:12:47 GMT
Whoop she has arrived. She looks very healthy, although she was very still for about 5-8 minutes I thought she had died but she was fine later. Another surprise was there was a worker as well I couldn't believe it I was very happy about that. The worker has eaten a little bit of honey it was very small I couldn't really see it until it ate some of the honey and now its running around and exploring I'm trying not to disturb her as much as possible but looking at her is so fascinating. I saw the worker feeding her (well I think it was) that was amazing as well. Sadly I can't upload any pictures as the light in my room at the moment is crap and the camera is being weird so I will upload some tomorrow. Also she how long do they clean them selves for as she was doing it a lot earlier not sure if that's important but might as well ask. (Thank you Jen, and I will)
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Post by TenebrousNova on Feb 28, 2012 19:47:46 GMT
Good to see she has arrived. To answer your question, ants do clean themselves frequently. They are often in contact with dirty or otherwise unclean surfaces and materials, so it make sense for them to maintain a standard of hygiene. When there are more workers, you'll often see a few of them perched on top of their queen to clean her.
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Post by philip369 on Feb 28, 2012 19:57:30 GMT
Thanks for the info I didn't think it was anything but I just wanted to be sure
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Post by Wood~Ant on Feb 28, 2012 20:06:27 GMT
Ants are actually very clean as they will clean themselves more than a cat does. A worker ant will clean itself 7 or 8 times an hour on average, and spends either a few seconds or about a minute to lick herself, and they have a special "comb" on their front legs to remove dirt from their face and antennae.
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Post by philip369 on Feb 29, 2012 19:40:39 GMT
Here is a picture of her I have decided to call her Sarah (well my little cousins did and now everyone is calling her that anyway) philip369.deviantart.com/#/d4rdqw0The worker has doubled in size from when she first arrived and is very lively, she has already filled the bottom of the test tube with sand from the habitat area does anyone know when Sarah will start laying eggs? And thanks for the info on the cleaning of ant they just never stop amazing me
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Post by TenebrousNova on Feb 29, 2012 20:01:27 GMT
Lasius niger queens begin egg laying during Spring and stop during Autumn. Once she has some protein, it should not be long.
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Post by philip369 on Mar 3, 2012 9:03:08 GMT
Hiya fellow ant lovers So a quick update on the colony the worker has been very busy and constructed an inch thick wall in the test tube. (I have basically been watching it so amazing to watch happen). The queen still hasn't accepted any protein so I think I will try some on Monday see if she wants any then, does any one know what's the best way to get it to her eat it as I don't think the worker could carry the pieces that I have been giving her. I will update again on Monday
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Post by philip369 on Mar 6, 2012 10:43:47 GMT
Upon looking at the test tube carefully I think I can see some eggs not 100% sure but they look like it. The worker has completely closed of the tube from the out side and I think the eggs are being looked after in the cotton wool at the end. Both the worker and the queen look very healthy and I will up date again in a week
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Post by philip369 on Mar 19, 2012 10:47:19 GMT
The queen now has a large pile of eggs and is sitting very protectedly over them. She is still not eating, I'm guessing that the honey is enough for them at the moment but she looks very healthy. My Messor barbarus queen will be coming this week some time, so that journal will be up soon. Can anyone tell me if they can swim as I have made an open topped enclosure for them?
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Post by Wood~Ant on Mar 19, 2012 14:15:38 GMT
Ants cannot swim as much as float. Should they however break the surface tension of the water, then they will sink and drown just like we would.
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Post by philip369 on Apr 16, 2012 19:58:25 GMT
Sarah and the worker are still here and getting on fine they have a nice pile of larvae and have taken a liking to meal worm (chopped up of course). Not much more to say until the first workers are hatched hopefully a month off yet can't wait.
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Post by philip369 on May 28, 2012 19:44:20 GMT
Sarah is now in a semi permanent plastic box that will be her home for the next couple of years hope fully (I will have to see if they out grow it) from what I have seen she has 3-5 Workers now and they seems to be doing great except that a fly infestation has appeared in the tank but I'm guessing the ants will just eat them after a while. They have a fondness for moth maggots that I buy at the store round the corner so they are having a steady diet of them (chopped up. Half of one every 4 days at the moment the other half going to my Messor Barbarus look for them on my other journal) and other than that they are fine I will update again soon.
Blessed Be !
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Post by philip369 on Jul 3, 2012 21:01:47 GMT
So they have now been moved in to another box (all my ants have been moved to much) I have had a go with the plaster of paris and had mixed results (due to inexperience) I didn't tape down the plastic that was for the holes I am how ever going to use a plaster of paris set up for them I have two 80 litre plastic boxes that were originally for my Messor's but as they can chew through this with easy I am going to let the Niger use it, it should also be big enough that I won't have to expand it for along time and I have some interesting ideas for the out world box (thinking Egyptian themed for a laugh ). At the moment they are mostly in the test tube all the time but as it's full of soil at the moment it's hard to see what is going on in there I have noticed a callowed worker once or twice may be the same one or different I'm guessing that the colony is around 20 workers give or take only one or two ever come out to forage.
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Post by philip369 on Aug 12, 2012 21:29:44 GMT
Had a lot of trouble with these girls lately first was the fact that the plaster of Paris set up was condensation heavy with the heat at the moment, then I stupidly picked up the test tube to move them in to the the soil set up (which they are loving) and the soil in the test tube collapsed I had to dig some of them out but they where fine in the end hopefully they will move from the test tube soon then I can remove it and I will be much happier.
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