I'm New to 'anting' and would just like to know if I'm doing everything right.
I keep both queens in little rectangular containers and keep the containers in a cardboard box under my bed. I give them water about once a week with an eye
dropper. (you can see the ant in the last pic drinking from the cotton that i just moistened)
i check on them about every other day, sometimes less (starting now im not going to check on them for a week though cuz i just got a new formica queen).
Just want to check if I'm doing everything alright this is my first time.
A question about my carpenter ant queen now: i will be going away to NC on August 2nd and returning on the 16th. my carpenter ant has some large lava and
eggs. should i leave her on her own? it would be very stressful for her to take her with me.
do you think workers will hatch while im away? should i put some honey in there before i go?
[added big photos. to title] --antdude
How I keep my Ants! (Big photos.)
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 Vulgaris |
How I keep my Ants! (Big photos.) |
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Adult Worker Ant Posts: 211 07/14/2008 5:19 PM |
Last Edited By: antdude 07/18/2008 10:13 AM.
Edited 1 time.
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thatguy |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 61 07/14/2008 5:30 PM |
Hey there! I am also new to this forum but I was fascinated by ants for a long time and read a lot about them. I would say just leave them to be. If they need
some food they will probably kill a worker and eat that, although I am sure they can live without food for days. Also make sure its nice and moist in the
containers and congrats on the queens!
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Tleilaxu |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 61 07/14/2008 8:53 PM |
I doubt the ants will kill a worker, though they will cannibalize eggs and larva as a last resort.
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Vulgaris |
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Adult Worker Ant Posts: 211 07/17/2008 3:30 PM |
ok once the queen layes eggs and has a brood going, does she still need to be kept in the dark? like can i leave her container out of the box? or will that
make her stressed?
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bobolak |
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Minor Worker Ant Posts: 133 07/17/2008 11:27 PM |
Ants don't need to be kept in darkness. Just keep them away from the sunlight or very bright lamps.
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Vulgaris |
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Adult Worker Ant Posts: 211 07/18/2008 6:12 AM |
oh really?! I will have to take my queen out of the box then so i can see her easily! i thought they had to be kept in the dark cuz thats how a nest would be
in the wild .
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Vulgaris |
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Adult Worker Ant Posts: 211 07/18/2008 6:22 AM |
I think she has a couple of pupa! what do you guys think? i cant really tell whats what it just looks like a pile of ant brood to me ; )
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bobolak |
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Minor Worker Ant Posts: 133 07/18/2008 7:03 AM |
Yes of course, they are cocoons with pupae. It seems she is doing well.
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Vulgaris |
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Adult Worker Ant Posts: 211 07/18/2008 8:25 AM |
great but not so great. you see i did not want workers to hatch until i get back from vacation. i leave on august 2nd and return on august 16th. you think they
will hatch while im gone? gee i hope not
here is another photo of her and her brood 
so just to clear things up once and for all, its ok for her to be in light but not bright sunlight or bright lamp light? |
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branrt |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 38 07/18/2008 9:40 AM |
I keep my ant in sunlight, but i put a cloth over her, i think it is OK to leave her in light, but try to make sure that it isnt too bright. And about you
leaving and the workers hatching, from the looks of it, you have a pupa, so I think that they might hatch, but i am not certain. The thing i would do is put a
small slab of honey in there right before you go as honey doesn't get old or molds (least for 3 weeks). So that is what i would try. If workers do hatch i
dont think it is that big of a deal cause they hekp the queen tend to the eggs ;]
Good Luck Vulgaris 
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Vulgaris |
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Adult Worker Ant Posts: 211 07/18/2008 10:10 AM |
thank you very much!
ok i will put some honey in before i go... hopefully they wont hatch right away though because then dont they need protien (like insects) to feed to the larva? one more pic! : ) 
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branrt |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 38 07/18/2008 10:30 AM |
hmm, well i think that the honey will be fine, anyways your only leaving for 2 weeks, the honey should do for now, but if you come back and there are workers,
put some spider pieces in there ;], make sure that they are small bits as the queen may think of it as a threat and would be stressed, but just small bits of
insect after you get back should work ;]
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Vulgaris |
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Adult Worker Ant Posts: 211 07/18/2008 11:07 AM |
great thanks for your help!!! i was a bit worried about leaving them but i feel batter now.
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branrt |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 38 07/18/2008 5:02 PM |
Hah, no problem, you helped me out too ;]
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metallicmyrmecology |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 42 07/20/2008 9:11 AM |
that is the exact queen i have and she is doing very well also, let me know when your pupa hatch as mine have been cocooned for like a week now and i'm not
sure how long it takes for them to come out.
good luck! |
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Vulgaris |
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Adult Worker Ant Posts: 211 07/20/2008 11:26 AM |
yeah my coccoons have been there for a few days now. i am eagrly awaiting workers! let me know when yours hatch too!
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metallicmyrmecology |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 42 08/01/2008 12:31 AM |
just today i had one hatch, and now if you hold them up to the light you can see the outline of ants in some other pupae. it's very exciting.
still no permanent enclosure though. |
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metallicmyrmecology |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 42 08/01/2008 1:10 PM |
overnight three more hatched, so i've got quite a group of buddies running about.
i REALLY need to get something more permanent put together. |
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Tleilaxu |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 61 08/01/2008 7:13 PM |
I have read that it is adviseable to keep the ants in their starter enclosures until they are going strong. I would keep them in there till you have 20 to 30
ants.
My queen now has pupa as well!
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metallicmyrmecology |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 42 08/01/2008 10:49 PM |
really? that many? hmm, good to know. i feel less pressured now.
congrats on the pupae! |
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calvinrock |
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Young Worker Ant Posts: 29 08/03/2008 1:41 AM |
20 0 30 ? that's too much
i`ll say 7 because you have to feed them and in order to do so you have to open the plastic box where you have them and is going to be very difficult to keep them inside they will scape at first moment =D |
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