Newbie Ant Keeping Journal

[Eva]

Ant Species: Lasius Niger

Hi guys, I wanted to write this journal yesterday and it is kind of too late to do it now...
I  am plain newbie in ant keeping however I read a lot about ants and everyday I find something new.

I wanted to start my ant colony out of found ant queen, simply, from plain scratch. Last year I haven't managed to find any and in August, this year I had more luck.

22nd of August 2013
I have found my first ant queen. To be honest I haven't looked much for ant queens because I was a bit discouraged. She appeared out of sudden, to be honest it was plain luck or coincidence because I went to my garden just to water my sunflowers. She was wandering in between my sunflower pots. To be honest I wasn't even prepared for it. I ran to kitchen to get box from chinese take away to catch her. I have named her Lizabeth the I. I have put tiniest possible drop of water with tooth pick and equally small amount of honey (now I know that I don't have to do it)
Lizabeth been cleaning herself for a whole day. She must have liked it right? She was calm and not running around. Box was small anyway.

23rd of August 2013
I haven't had any test tube for Lizabeth. As I have written up there, I was discouraged and thought that I am not going to find any ant queen. Hopefully I found tiny tube in which I have kept glitter. I've boiled it just in case, put some water & cotton to not flood ant. I have put Lizabeth into tube. She was cleaning herself there as well, to be honest I thought she would run around and look for way out.
At night I have noticed little piece of dirt I thought that it must have been on cotton.

24th of August 2013
I have noticed 2 more little pieces of dirt

25th of August 2013


26th of August 2013
I have realized that little pieces of dirt were actually eggs! Lizabeth had 5 of them

27th of August 2013
I have attached small syringe to tube as cotton began to dry out even if water was there :/
Lizabeth lied 9 eggs in total
You can see 5 of her eggs on picture:


At evening I have found 13 eggs in total! Lizabeth were going mad!
Also my mum have found out that I have ant queen!

31st of August 2013
Lizabeth lied 19 eggs in total! I didn't thought that she will lie so many eggs 

4rd of September 2013
My sister cat have brought mouse home and we didn't managed to catch it.

5th of September 2013
I have discovered that mouse ate my succulents and tried to eat Lizabeth! Cotton was out and hopefully ant was inside.
Mouse was found dead- shouldn't eat succulents!

7th of September 2013
It seems like Lizabeth have trauma from mouse. She don't come close to edge of tube. In her tube cotton dried out so I have attached another tube. And eggs... they meant to turn into larva sometime soon right?

14th of September 2013
Lizabeth still haven't came close to edge of tube. She must do it when I am not around.

20th of September 2013
I think there are 30 eggs in test tube right now. Lizabeth seem to be not good mum all of them seem to be scattered around.

23rd of September 2013
Some of eggs turned brown or even black. What's going on? I assume that it is because they haven't turned into larva for too long

26th of September 2013
Counted 41 eggs- that was difficult

27th of September 2013
Someone have uncovered tube with ant. Lizabeth seems to be fine because she walked into another tube. I think eggs are dead.
I have attached new syringe which is a lot wider.
At night Lizabeth have ran away, hopefully I have found her somewhere on table.

28th of September 2013
I have found Lizabeth dead in syringe. She was stuck to cotton thread. She was literally hanging in air horizontally and her back legs were stuck to cotton. She have died for unknown to me reason. I am really upset about it  and when I woke up I couldn't believe that she is dead.   
It was also strange that eggs have never turned into larva and were always scattered around.

Lizabeth's last picture:


I don't know whenever it will be better to try to get new ant now or in spring, after ant hibernation.

I would like to continue this journal with another ant so please don't close it down.

[Joona]

Sorry about the queen
I had 3 of my 4 flavus queens die I was gutted.

[Wood~Ant]

It often pays to try and catch more than 1 queen (if you can) during the mating season, as if a queen does die then you have a few more to found colonies.
Nice journal, it is sad it ends with her death; but never despair as we do have many young ant collectors here who have cheap colonies for sale, and sometimes even give a very small colony for free. 

[Eva]

Sept 28, 2013 13:26:38 GMT Joona said:

Sorry about the queen
I had 3 of my 4 flavus queens die I was gutted.

awww thats a shame D:
I don't know what I would do if it would happen to me

Wood~Ant Avatar
Sept 28, 2013 14:26:40 GMT 1 Wood~Ant said:
It often pays to try and catch more than 1 queen (if you can) during the mating season, as if a queen does die then you have a few more to found colonies.
Nice journal, it is sad it ends with her death; but never despair as we do have many young ant collectors here who have cheap colonies for sale, and sometimes even give a very small colony for free.

you can call me silly now...
after I have found my queen, one next day I've found second one
I just didn't had idea of what to do if both of them would survive
Hopefully someone have messaged me already so I have mixed day where I am sad and happy at once!
thanks

[Eva]

Update!

04th of October 2013
I have received received today 2 Lasisus Niger queens from Joona ! Thank you very much! 
Both queens appear to be a bit bigger than my previous one, and that is very nurturing 
Ok so I baked some sand & went out to look for some insects. Surprisingly I couldn't find none. There is always a fly, fly crane or spider in my house or even full of spiders shed! I think that all of them must have knew that I am just about to boil them. I managed to find 1 small spider and another one was about 2-3 times bigger. It had really beautiful markings. Killing them in boiled water wasn't fun. It seems that after all revenge isn't that sweet. I also gave them a little bit of apple and honey.
Since there are 2 queens I will color code them. Lisabeth II (with smaller brood) will be red and Lisabeth III will have purple notes only because boxes have bits of this colour.
Just for me to remember:
- Lisabeth II- db2626
- Lisabeth III- ab58e0

Lisabeth II
This brood is smaller but I haven't counted amount of ants simply because they seem to be pretty affected by light. As soon as I have turned light on, they crowded up to cotton and stopped as if light turned them into stone. This brood is more shy as well. They haven't checked surrounding right away. They were just running around in tube. Queen haven't moved in that time at all. At one point I thought that she have died!
Eventually first worker have left tube. She haven't went far. They seem to go bigger distances but in straight lines. 
After 2h in darkness I have noticed that worked were munching food already  .They seem to prefer apple over honey. Ants also moved spider closer to tube. Queen still not so active but alive

Lisabeth III
These guys are more active. To begin with, when I have opened envelope, I've noticed that ants made little tunnel in cotton! It postage would be delayed in mail one day longer, they would definitely run away. These guys don't seem to mind light so much. They don't go far out of tube like others, they just check surroundings.
Ants are absolutely mad about honey, they don't seem to be interested in apple nor spider. I've seen them running around the spider but they haven't done anything with it. 

So here pictures sorry for bad quality but I didn't want to bother them now.

Lisabeth II brood have hidden as soon as I have turned light on .
Lisabeth III brood munching honey 

[Joona]

Glad there all ok
Really looking forward to reading your journal and I love there new names lol

[Eva]

Thanks
Their names were my friend idea. He told me to call them Elizabeth (from Queen of England) first but then he said that ants are smaller so first letter should go missing. Besides, if they would rule Ngland, 'ng' could do as shortening of niger

[Atomfix]

Good to see your journal back up and running, quick suggestion though, I only thought of it like 2 weeks ago, I use bottle caps to put stuff in like water or honey, and apple even! I find it better than foil or plastic etc... it helps stop mould from spreading on the dirt/sand whatever your using.

[Wood~Ant]

One more thing Eva, and that is in your photo you seem to have both colonies in the same tank. If you want them to forage for food, then you must separate the 2 test tubes and only keep one colony in the tank. If the workers of both ever meet up then they will fight, and one colony will kill off the weaker colony and its queen, so they do need to live apart.

[Eva]

thanks atomfix. for now food is on tiny plastic but I'll try next time to put it in bottle caps. there will be no problem of getting one in my family hehe.
it will be bad if insect wouldn't fit into one hehe
I also thought about buying pringles as tin tray would be great as well I think
they have tried to move spiders gaster to test tube I suppose they will be not able to do that if it would be in cap right?

wood no worries~~
these two are in two different boxes. Lisabeth II in red and Lisabeth III
on picture it appears on picture as if they are together but they are not. pictures are just touching each other that's it. as I view it now, on my phone, pictures are separated

[Atomfix]

Oct 5, 2013 10:50:26 GMT Eva said:

thanks atomfix. for now food is on tiny plastic but I'll try next time to put it in bottle caps. there will be no problem of getting one in my family hehe.
it will be bad if insect wouldn't fit into one hehe
I also thought about buying pringles as tin tray would be great as well I think
they have tried to move spiders gaster to test tube I suppose they will be not able to do that if it would be in cap right?

wood no worries~~
these two are in two different boxes. Lisabeth II in red and Lisabeth III
on picture it appears on picture as if they are together but they are not. pictures are just touching each other that's it. as I view it now, on my phone, pictures are separated

I use caps off from the milk bottles, I find it very ideal to put drops of honey or water into them, I don't usually put food in them unless it's apple or banana etc. Insects I just leave anywhere in the foraging area.

And you would be surprised, if a single worker can't move the spiders gaster, than it would normally recruit other workers to help along.

Anyways... I'm looking forward in following this journal! I'm still relativity new in ant keeping myself and I'm always learning something new from here. Good luck!

[Wood~Ant]

Oct 5, 2013 10:58:03 GMT Atomfix said:

Oct 5, 2013 10:50:26 GMT Eva said:

thanks atomfix. for now food is on tiny plastic but I'll try next time to put it in bottle caps. there will be no problem of getting one in my family hehe.
it will be bad if insect wouldn't fit into one hehe
I also thought about buying pringles as tin tray would be great as well I think
they have tried to move spiders gaster to test tube I suppose they will be not able to do that if it would be in cap right?

wood no worries~~
these two are in two different boxes. Lisabeth II in red and Lisabeth III
on picture it appears on picture as if they are together but they are not. pictures are just touching each other that's it. as I view it now, on my phone, pictures are separated

I use caps off from the milk bottles, I find it very ideal to put drops of honey or water into them, I don't usually put food in them unless it's apple or banana etc. Insects I just leave anywhere in the foraging area.

And you would be surprised, if a single worker can't move the spiders gaster, than it would normally recruit other workers to help along.

Anyways... I'm looking forward in following this journal! I'm still relativity new in ant keeping myself and I'm always learning something new from here. Good luck!

A good way to avoid the possible risk of little worker ants drowning in honey or sugar water, place a small wad of cotton wool which is damp (NOT WET) inside the plastic bottle cap, then dribble some honey or sugar water onto the wad and let it soak in before adding more. 
Make sure the wad stays moist with the liquid food, as the ants then crawl over the wad and sip out the sweet nectar as they would the sap of a plant or flower. As they cannot get stuck in a sticky puddle they don't drown or die from being glued by the sugary solution. 

[Joona]

I too use plastic milk bottle tops with cotton wool for water. I also use the plastic bit inside paracetamol cartons (the bit the tablet is popped out off) and put a drop of honey water in one side and sugar water in the other.

[Eva]

Thanks Atomfix, shame that I get milk from milkman D:
In this case I'll try to stick to pringles cap
For now I see no signs of team work at all. They just run around, from time to time bite the spider, run around and then another one bites spider :/

Wood~Ant I keep forgetting to do that~
Today they seemed not interested in any sweet things anyway :/

thanks Joona to be honest I absolutely love this alternative, to be honest I don't like test tubes idea. I'll remove that test tube, dry it up and give it to them as another chamber


Now update~~
04th of October 2013 (update of update)
Before I went to sleep I have checked out ants and~~

Lisabeth II
It is surprising how just few hours of darkness give ants energy. Spider wasn't big, I admit it but queen and or little ones must have been really hungry because they have cut off it's gaster. Also they have brought some sand into tube... why?

Lisabeth III
These been busy with spider as well but since it was much bigger, I guess it will take them more time. These have brought some sand into test tube as well... why  why?

---

5th of October 2013
Meal for today: yellow- ish caterpillar, woodlice, little bugs and strawberry jam (I know... I went into insect catching frenzy but I was afraid that they wouldn't like them and be hungry)
Today Ngland was least busy place in the entire world. Most of day ants have spend in tube. I have also covered tube with aluminium to not bother queen with light. I don't want to cover whole boxes, I would like to see what they are doing with their food. Later my dad have cut hole in box lid and I have just put fabric between lid and box. I think that when colonies will grow bigger they will bite through fabric, for now girls are shy and don't even walk up the walls. Almost whole day I have been in my room and ants were open for whole day and they have barely walked next to wall.
Additionally I have moved ants from wardrobe to table because I have cleaned my room & decided to put succulents on wardrobe. Tomorrow I will have shelf put on my wall for ants and that should be end of moving them until broods will grow sufficiently big to be able to dig into soil.

Lisabeth II
Ants have moved spider gaster closer to tube entrance. Workers must have been busy over night because they have also smoothed out sand near entrance. I think that they have eaten everything out of spider but I am not sure about it (how do you guys know that they have finished). I have noticed small hole in spider's gaster. If there are any workers out of tube then it was max 1-2 of them. I have seen 3 when in darkness.
In the afternoon I have given them caterpillar, woodlice, little bugs and jam. They were not interested at all but as soon as I walk away they must make big feasts and parties. Little bug have disappeared. I am sure that he have not revived and flew away. I couldn't find it anywhere, I wonder what they have done with it.
Ladies were absolutely not interested in jam or in woodlice but one ant was biting caterpillar. I have cut caterpillar a little bit so they would find it easier to get into flesh... it don't look appetizing right now :/ but then... it's not like one ant is going to be able to cut it up soon...
They were not interested in strawberry jam



Lisabeth III
Previously these ants were most active but today they just preferred to hide. I haven't even seen them eat as well. I thought they would run to jam like wild ants. They have walked over caterpillar few times and poked woodlice with their antennas. It is clear to me now that none of them will eat woodlice... such a shame there is lots of them in my garden
Ants have not touched spider as well so I assume that they have eaten all of it. I have also found hole in spiders gaster.
Besides of that I've seen how ant fed queen and I think I have seen Lisabeth III laying the egg! Quite exciting
I have seen one ant walking with quite large piece of sand. It was walking around tube before entering it. Then It was walking in circles like hamster in broken wheel. I think she walked like this five times before putting it down hehe
Spider which they have eaten. Pretty markings huh?


Lisabeth III and her workers in tube:


This jam looks like ketchup hehe

Since I have cleaned my room I have found old things which I have forgotten about. One of these this was black light torch so I wanted to find out if it affect them. At complete darkness I have removed aluminium and turned torch on. They did show some sort of reaction but did not go hyper or freeze like unlike if I would turn on normal light. I think that this is because black light is a lot darker than normal light. 
Some interesting facts: woodlice illuminate in dark light 

So how do you guys know that ants have finished eating an insect?

Ohh and some general pictures:
Their tank look like as if they are on Mars

I have not a clue why bit on box look orange and other one have dark purple. In reality one box is bloody red and other one is light purple

[Joona]

Looking good! The ants will move sand in the test tube to block the entrance up, its to feel secure. I leave fresh food in for two days, although small colonys will eat a lot less then big ones and require less food. I feed mine twice a week, something sweet like jam or honey and some meat like a bug or a bit of chicken for protine.
Mark