Ant farm

[Specimen24-7]

This is my ant farm so far. It's not much, but it's only the beginning of an empire. there are only two workers, small pile of brood, and one queen in the colony.

Scientific name: Novomessor cockerelli

 

[Ranitomeya]

Ants make pretty interesting pets when they're not pests.
I have five Camponotus modoc queens with a dozen or so workers each that are overwintering right now. I'm going to need to make and set up some larger containers for them soon they're all still in temporary housing such as vials.

 

[yen_saw]

Nice. Too bad they are in West Texas.

 

[Specimen24-7]

So far the population has dropped to one worker but the good news is that the larvae are starting to pupate and the queen is starting egg production. Ranitomeya, I would love to find some Camponotus, I've seen Camponotus workers many times but I could never find a queen.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Over here it's the opposite. During prime alate season I see more winged camponotus queens than workers, they're all over the place.

Try peeling back the bark of dead logs. Sooner or later you'll find a queen with brood or a small colony that way.

 

[Ranitomeya]

I've found Camponotus queens by peeling the bark off of old logs and by tearing apart at old logs looking for wood-boring insects. I even found a couple queens in a big log on the periphery an established colony within when I went to collect some larvae and pupae to boost queens I'd already found. They were in chambers closed off with bits of sawdust and no brood and workers, so I knew I was collecting queens from a relatively recent flight.

 

[Specimen24-7]

Thanks, I'll keep this in mind when I go out to a Camponotus populated area.