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Post by Smudge on Sept 10, 2012 12:07:56 GMT
Had a nice surprise today, on checking the test tube I found no Lasius niger, bodies obviously completely devoured by the larvae; but there's also another new batch of eggs, cannot believe the rate at which this queen is laying brood. There is currently 5 pupae god knows how much larvae and a new batch of eggs. I would say there is about 40+ brood.
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Post by Antboy888 on Sept 10, 2012 15:28:46 GMT
Brilliant!
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Post by Smudge on Sept 11, 2012 21:45:01 GMT
Checked them today and 2 of the pupae are beginning to change colour another week or so I'll have my 9th and 10th workers, cannot wait. I have put in a spider today but they haven't touched it. Another interesting thing I put in some flavus eggs to see if they would eat them but they seem to have adopted them instead which is weird.
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Post by Smudge on Sept 13, 2012 0:04:32 GMT
I have realized that my ants for some reason or another will not eat spiders but will eat one or two legs but what they readily take is flies. I put a cranefly in earlies with a spider. The spider was dumped in a corner and the cranefly was being dragged into the testube. As long as this species will take crickets then all will be fine when I get them home.
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Post by Smudge on Sept 15, 2012 15:40:28 GMT
Well finally I have been shopping for a substrate and got a compost mixed with peat and loam bag as well as a bag of sharp sand. I mixed the two together and half filled the nest with the ytong blocks in .
I have placed in some decoration and placed in the test tube. the workers are wandering about and I will check on them in a little while.
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Post by Smudge on Sept 15, 2012 17:20:44 GMT
Ok so a few hours into they're new set up and theres already a problem I tapped them gently out of the testube and observed for 2 hours the queen was there for a little while and then run off and hid under the soil somewhere leaving her workers and her brood on the surface bewilderd about her location. In fact I don't know where she is what do I do?
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Post by Smudge on Sept 15, 2012 18:37:38 GMT
Nevermind found her she was down in a tunnel she had built I have knocked the light off and leave them be so she comes back n gets her workers n brood.
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Post by Smudge on Sept 16, 2012 13:31:09 GMT
Well today I checked them and they have all been reunited ;D. The workers are still digging but they have found time to capture a cricket which is lodged in the entrance hole and slowly being pulled into the nest and being stung to death so all is well
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Post by Smudge on Sept 17, 2012 21:33:30 GMT
Well its been 3 days since I placed them in the set up and they are still digging. Constantly and always digging the nest underneath must be getting pretty big now but I dare not lift the tank to check. they have taken another helpless cricket today thats 2 in two days.
I cannot wait for this colony to grow and watch the ammount of activity on the surface. I have misted the substrate today as the ants like the humidity but all seems well and they are active.
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Post by Smudge on Sept 25, 2012 22:12:10 GMT
Well all is well in the rubida tank one worker has died but I put that down to natural causes. I haven't seen the queen in ages but with the ammount of food the workers are taking I assume she is fine.
One rather odd note one of the workers has dug a chamber at the opposite end of the nest, honestly not sure why as it is about 40cm away from the main entrance and the nest cannot be that big already there is not nearly enough soil been shifted if any body has any ideas as to why this is please do not hesitate to post.
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Post by Smudge on Oct 3, 2012 18:17:27 GMT
Well as far as I can tell this colony is doing fine. more workers seem to be digging at the opposite end of the tank don't quite know why if anyone has any insight as to why please tell me.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Oct 3, 2012 18:29:24 GMT
Well as far as I can tell this colony is doing fine. more workers seem to be digging at the opposite end of the tank don't quite know why if anyone has any insight as to why please tell me. Don't worry about this behaviour, as mine are digging all across the surface too. ;D
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Post by Smudge on Oct 8, 2012 17:24:51 GMT
Well most of the workers seem to be in the newest tunnel and that is where they dragged the fly to so I assume this is where they have moved to. That or it is connected to the first entrance even though it is a way away from their original entrance. There has been quite a bit of earth moved and I must have missed the queen moving there. That or she has perished and not been moved out of the old nest. I really hope this hasnt happend as I am very fond of this colony. I havent seen her since they first moved so I can only assume will have to wait and see if the number of workers will increase. I only ever see 9 or ten workers at one time and that is in the tunnels and on the surface. But at least they are feeding so that must be a good sign.
I have noticed that they have gone off crickets as theyre bodies just get left on the surface these days and they do not like spiders too much either. Will have to try and find another food sourcemaybe flies and il try and dig up some beetle grubs or maybe even go down to my fishing shop and try some maggots. Has anybody tried this?
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Post by Smudge on Oct 10, 2012 18:49:57 GMT
Well I am suprised the workers are busier than ever they have dug a good few tunnels against the side of the glass on both sides still I'm not sure if they are linked beneath or where the queen and brood are but I'm quietly confident the numbers are growing. Only because I see a few workers foraging at one time plus the ones I can see in the tunnels and plus the ones who must stay with the queen so there should be a good few. I really wish I could see the queen and brood though.
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Post by Smudge on Oct 10, 2012 19:44:15 GMT
What did I just say about not seeing any of the brood. After I wrote this I went upstairs to check them and there the workers were running over the surface with the larvae didnt see any pupae but I counted 5 in a total of 5 minutes so they are probably still moving them. They were moving them from the new nest back into the newly renavated old nest where I can see the brood against the glass but still no queen. I will check again in a little while to see if any more have been moved or to see if the queen has.
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