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Post by smithy on Sept 2, 2007 9:30:41 GMT
Right. I just looked in the ant farm as I wokr up and I have just spotted my first little baby ant digging a tunnel towards the surface! He is tiny! What do I need to do to make his first few days easier? I ashume I should water the soil a little. What is best to feed them at first to get their energy up? I ofter read that you need to water them. does that just mean add water to the soil? I'm sure I read somethere that someone add's water soaked cotton wool but that seems a little odd since its not really simulation their real life conditions.
A quick reply would be really appreciated here becasue I want to do everything right! Cheers!
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Post by smithy on Sept 8, 2007 8:51:09 GMT
Everything looks good! Ants like digging. I have left then a selectionof crumbs and flys mainly and they only seem to like the flys!
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Post by navydogxx on Mar 1, 2008 18:56:45 GMT
I have had my queen for couple of months now, and she has laid about 7 eggs hard to see because they stuck together. Just wondering how long till they get to grubs please? She is a harvester ant, I moved her from her home, regret it now lol, but she didn't eat any eggs few she is not in soil do you think I should but her back in and keep her in a tub with jelly like water? She ate that in 1 day, god she must of been hungry. (I thought her eggs would be bigger but they are small)
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Post by Jenny on Mar 1, 2008 19:07:11 GMT
Hi Navydogxx, welcome to the forum after a long time waiting to get in What exactly are you keeping your queen in at the present time? I would be very reluctant to move her now, seeing as she has laid eggs. They get stressed easily, and then start eating the eggs... Do you know what species she is? The less disturbance the better..
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Post by navydogxx on Mar 1, 2008 20:02:11 GMT
She is a Messor SpecIes. She is in a tub without soil, she seemed happy when she was in soil she didn't eat any eggs. When I moved her lucky, do you know how long till her eggs turn into grubs please?
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Post by Jenny on Mar 1, 2008 20:23:44 GMT
Messors do like to dig in soil, if a queen is happy where she is and starts laying, she is best left alone. You might find she could eat her eggs, or stop laying now she is in a tub with nothing to dig down into. Depending when she laid the eggs, which by the way are a small cluster, depends on the growth to the next stage, there is a lot of factors to consider like warmth, humidity and food. Ant keeping is a waiting game, and a lot of patience is needed.
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Post by navydogxx on Mar 2, 2008 0:48:25 GMT
I moved her back with soil sadly lost some eggs but she is a good laying ant and will lay more she is much happier now even tho I kept her in heated room she still only laid now spring is here.
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Post by navydogxx on Jun 9, 2008 16:06:49 GMT
:)yea !!!!! my queens eggs have turned into cocoons. I wonder how long till they hatch? I am so exited I tell you, this species are quick to dig. here is tip if anyone needs it I found putting her in a coffee jar regular size fill with damp compost and keep in a warmish place, not too warm the soil drys out. hope that helps P.S. if ya need to dampen soil, spray with mister lightly
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Post by Wood~Ant on Jun 9, 2008 17:14:43 GMT
:)yea !!!!! my queens eggs have turned into cocoons. I think you mean pupae, as Messor are a Myrmicine ant and as such don't have cocoons. Instead the larvae turn into pupae within the last moult of the larval skin, so this is called a "bare" pupa as it doesn't spin a cocoon like many Formicine ants do. Still, you should find that you have workers from these pupae soon, in about 2 to 3 weeks all being well By the way Navydog, as your Messor are not a native species, can you please start a new thread about them in the Foreign Ant Species board queenant.proboards82.com/index.cgi?board=alien
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Post by naturekidmn on Jul 24, 2008 15:55:22 GMT
Would giving my formica fusca colony a boost of pupae work or is it risky? There are 10-15 workers and 1 queen in the colony . Thanks in advance.
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Post by navydogxx on Jul 30, 2008 10:31:11 GMT
baby ant born for messa so thats good but for some reason the ant is looking after eggs and queen is making tunnels and collecting food eney1 no why cheers
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