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Post by chicken2012 on May 9, 2015 17:03:41 GMT
Update #1
I think that from now on, I will run a separate journal for both of these colonies, so from now on, this will be the journal for the colony in the small tub, and will be known as colony B.
as with colony A, I have put colony B's out-world half on, half off a heat mat, with a piece of cardboard separating the two. their test tube is straddling the edge of the heat mat, so that the ants are able to thermo-regulate more easily.
As yet I have not been able to find any wild Lasius niger colonies that I can take some brood from to boost this colony, but I shall keep looking.
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Post by chicken2012 on May 29, 2015 13:08:59 GMT
Update #2
These ants have been drinking some honey water, and have in general been a bit more active than Colony A, however, again, they don't seem to want to eat any protein really. So I have not given them any for the last week or so, however either today or tomorrow I may try again, hopefully now they should have worked up an appetite, but we shall see.
Also, I still have yet to find a wild colony to take brood from to boost this colony.
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Post by chicken2012 on Jun 3, 2015 15:14:57 GMT
Update #3
A quarter if the tub these ants are in is now on a 7w heat mat. This seems to be making them forage more, and when I put a small blackfly on the feeding lid the other day, during the night that followed they must have taken it into the test tube. However I can not see it in there because the tube is getting a little dirty now.
Since they seemingly took the first blackfly, today I have just offered them a second one.
This colony has taken honey water as well, but I shall not give them anymore until tomorrow or maybe Friday.
I think there are about 6-8 workers and some brood, though I can't tell exact numbers due to lack of visibility into the tube.
Right, that's all for now, thanks for reading.
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Post by chicken2012 on Jun 4, 2015 18:46:09 GMT
Update #4 this colony has taken in the blackfly and so as with colony A, I have offered them a fairly large piece of chicken.
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Post by chicken2012 on Jun 6, 2015 20:52:09 GMT
Update #5
These ants, like colony A, have been eating from a piece of chicle almost constantly for the last two days, but these little buggers have taken a huge lump of chicken into the tube, and plonked it right next to the queen. It dwarfs her. I hep this doesn't go mouldy 'cause it's be a pain to get from its current location.
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Post by chicken2012 on Jul 31, 2015 16:55:25 GMT
This colony, unlike colony A, is doing great. Difficult to work out the number of workers but I'd say about 20 or so maybe, and a good pile of brood too! So with any luck this colony should start to flourish and I'll need to start thinking about expanding their home!
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