jennifer
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
Likes: 27
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Post by jennifer on Sept 2, 2011 19:50:39 GMT
My blog feel free to post any comments/suggestions My Ants Store tank arrived today! Still waiting for my Ants Canada formicarium.. which I ordered long before the Ants Store tank.. I think they are shipping it on foot.. or by mounties on a sleigh... It left Canada on the 19Aug :/ Ah well I am sure I have plenty of time before I need it! So not panicking.. honest! I set up the ant-store tank, It is just a basic set up until I get to the store to buy plastic plants and sterilize a few rocks. I even have an Idea for some fake grass in one corner.. This is my original sketch..I drew it to give my daughter some ideas of what we were going to do. Not going to have them all linked up like that though.. Oh and no laughing at my bad drawing skills! I heard plenty of good advice... keep the layer of dirt thin so they don't use it to burrow, (Jen) buy some plastic flower plants and place honey on the petals to simulate a more natural feeding pattern.(Mikey Busto) Add a test tube with water for a constant reliable source (everyone!) When I caught the second ant I did not have any test tubes so used a vitamin pill box as it was dark red and it simulated it to be rather nice and dark, she blocked herself in with damp cotton wool and now has some small pupae 4 weeks later, I am hoping some will enclose in 4-6 weeks time. I am keeping it moist by using a pipette to dampen the bottom layer of cotton every 4-5 days which keeps it a nice humidity. Once the Ants Canada formicarium arrives I will wait till there are some workers and they are about 2-4 weeks old, Ill see how adventurous they are and if I feel they are ready will attach the small formicarium. Since the ants will not be around for another month that gives me plenty of time for some finishing touches. I am not expecting much activity till spring and am half expecting them to hibernate once the first workers arrive. As we live in the far south of England, it all depends on them, if I notice they are not coming out much I may move them to a cooler room, and keep an eye on them till March.
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Post by Zarbi on Sept 3, 2011 9:15:51 GMT
I hope Ants Canada doesn't let you down with sending the set up as you seem to have things well planned and well organised You can buy some nice set ups made to order from UK based sellers, so you don't need to order from far away. I'm sure some of the other guys can help as a few have very elaborate set ups purchased from UK and other European Formicarium makers
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jennifer
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
Likes: 27
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Post by jennifer on Sept 3, 2011 19:16:31 GMT
Thanks Zarbi.. I guess I always try to be prepared.. I'm kinda the person that has a backup for the backup. I try to research a great deal before jumping in..At least in theory... I do have a small formicarium from the Queen Ant Shop on order, encase workers enclose or the labour government are back in power before the ones from Ants Canada arrive. I just have little faith in the British postal service. Not pessimistic you understand just a realist! I did fire off an email to Ants Canada to ask if they could check, as the Canadian Post website is an expert at giving you the runaround, and will not check the tracking number, unless I have their postal code, and know everything including their favorite colour, and what underwear they are wearing.. So hoping to hear back from them. I did go to the local pet store that specializes in reptiles etc to see what they had and bought a few bits to decorate the outworld. So that's about it, nothing much to report till something else happens
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
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Post by shane on Sept 3, 2011 19:28:27 GMT
Nice set up you have there, and planner for other bits.
Just wish now I had a bigger foragin tank like yours ;D
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jennifer
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
Likes: 27
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Post by jennifer on Sept 6, 2011 21:13:52 GMT
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jennifer
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
Likes: 27
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Post by jennifer on Sept 9, 2011 19:37:49 GMT
Formicarium arrived Formicarium arrived from Queen Ant shop today, I only ordered it about a week ago so very fast service! It was packed very well and looked better than the photos on the website! I am not going to get worried about the Ants Canada one that has not arrived.. after looking through the postal website I found that land standard delivery is 4-6 weeks. It was 4 weeks on Thursday, so not long now! So my fault for not checking the dispatch times and there is no rush... good things come to those who wait.. they say.. Except buses and trains.. My daughter is very excited, we have watered the formicarium and I will visually inspect to see the humidity as there are no instructions on how much water to give it, So I filled it to the top and it will take a while to seep through. I guess just common sense rules apply there. Here are the pictures. Added a little red foil (temp) Will cut and measure it properly You can see round the edges water is slowly seeping through Back of the set up, added some red foil to the back of the pipe. Added a little water and will let it dry to make the ground hard. Wooden stick secured by a small stone leads to the out world My daughter after we pieced it all together. She Is excited! though told her it will be a while before I connect a queen to the back. Link to the Queen Ant shop is at on the side of this forum, Tank from Ant store in Germany. Curtains... needing replaced as a little wonky in their old age. Table.. from a shop near where I live . One thing I was concerned about was the proximity to the window but we do not get direct sunlight through it, and I will always keep the curtains covering the formicarium slightly, The tank will be away from the sunlight except the far end, so they will have a sunny spot if needed. So all ready to go, going to wait till the first workers arrive and introduce them, let them settle in before winter sets in properly. Of course in Nov it will all be going in the garage till mid Feb to let them hibernate.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 9, 2011 19:46:41 GMT
That's a lovely set up you have, which I am sure your ants will enjoy living in Jenny
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Post by TenebrousNova on Sept 9, 2011 20:37:25 GMT
Looks very suitable, Jenny. Good luck with these.
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Post by Blem12 on Sept 9, 2011 21:05:52 GMT
What an amazing set up you have there! I bet your ants will appreciate it very much. All the best, Blem12.
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Post by Jenny on Sept 9, 2011 22:48:20 GMT
Hi Jen, your daughter looks so excited and that's before the ants arrive (She takes after you for looks ) I didn't know a little girl could get so excited about an empty tank ;D Glad you are enjoying the forum and I hope everything takes off well...........
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Post by Black Ant on Sept 10, 2011 14:29:14 GMT
Your little girl has a really sweet smile Jennifer, it is nice to see her thrilled at the prospects of being an ant keeper at this age. I hope the ants give your family a lot of fun
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jennifer
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
Likes: 27
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Post by jennifer on Sept 10, 2011 21:30:36 GMT
Thanks everyone! Yes she loves insects... wants to be .. and I quote *an animal tv person and vet that travels round the world rescuing animals and bugs * guess I better start saving... I like the set up I hope the ants do too!
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jennifer
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
Likes: 27
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Post by jennifer on Sept 13, 2011 14:06:20 GMT
First worker enclosed today, I thought it was a really brown egg but then I seen the antennae moving!.. I was not expecting one for another week and a half.. I did realize something that might explain it.. I place my ant vitamin pill bottle on my book case which is next to my computer, the back end of the pill case is against the inside side pannel of the book case, My lamp on my PC desk reflects off the out side pannel of the book case. I noticed the queen placed her eggs near the base of her burrow when I switched my PC on (which automatically turns my lamp on,) after about an hour of being on my pc. Feeling the side of the book case it warms up after an hour or so, she must have used the very light warmth of my lamp against the book case to speed up her eggs. Either that or I'm a week out on calculating when she laid her first eggs, being half buried with the cotton its hard to tell.
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jennifer
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
Likes: 27
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Post by jennifer on Sept 13, 2011 14:20:11 GMT
Make that two! And they are very dark and running around, I am beginning to think she has had them hidden for a few days in some small chamber she has dug out inside the cotton. Considering they do not look *just out the pupae shell pale and timid* I put a tiny bit of cotton soaked with honey water and a small cricket leg inside just encase its needed.
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jennifer
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 74
Likes: 27
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Post by jennifer on Sept 14, 2011 20:06:59 GMT
MAKE THAT 4.. I wonder if it is normal for the numbers to rise that quickly? My other queen has only larvae, though she took much longer to lay her eggs. This is the one I found trying to find somewhere to burrow in my garden, When I placed her in that pill Bottle with 3 inch cotton, and a nice gap at the top that I made with a Biro, she seemed very settled and content and started preparing the nest by blocking the small gap she squeezed herself through within an hour. I guess I recommend orange radiance multi vitamin pill bottles as homes. the picture bellow you can just make out three of them. cannot see all four but they are up the top tending the smaller brood. There is a clearish picture of one, and the queen.
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