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| Ants! | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 29 2009, 01:31 PM (441 Views) | |
| Ànraich | Mar 29 2009, 01:31 PM Post #1 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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I used to have these large bales of hay that I practiced my archery on, but after a while (and a few rains/blizzards) they were falling apart and in the way. I put them in an oil drum a couple of years ago and a few days ago I discovered a colony of ants living in it. I decided it would be interesting to capture some and start a new colony, so I did, but now I have them and realize I don't know anything about ants. Well, I mean, I know a lot about ants, but not how to care for them. I've been on Google all day but I keep getting conflicting answers, so I need some help answering a few question I have: 1. Will they produce a new queen on their own? I captured a good number of them, and from the looks of it I took them from their nursery as there seems to be a large number of larvae and eggs with them. 2. How do I give them water? Surely I don't just drop some water into the soil? Should I just put a damp cotton ball in there? 3. What exactly should I feed them? I mean, I've seen people suggest fruit and vegetables and honey and sugarwater, but anything else? Keep in mind I'm not specifically sure what species of ant this is. It looks like normal black sidewalk ants, but then again they were living in hay and don't seem to be digging into the soil I put in their habitat (of course they were out in the garage all night and it was awfully cold out there, and it looks like they're warming up and becoming more active now). |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| Paralith | Mar 29 2009, 02:27 PM Post #2 |
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Infant
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I'm not an ant expert either, but from what I understand of eusocial insects, new queens are born only when it is time for for a new splinter colony to go off on its own. But I'm not sure how a queen becomes a queen, if its determined before or after the eggs are laid - if you snatched some eggs, the workers might figure out the queen is gone, we need a new one, and possibly foster one into a queen. You'll have to let us know if you see anything like that happen. Ants probably get all the moisture they need from the food they eat. As long as you don't keep them on a strict diet of freeze-dried foods, they should be fine. Probably if you find other bugs around your house you don't like (cockroaches, spiders) you could try feeding them to your ants too. Not all ants eat other insects but you could just see what they do. |
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| Ànraich | Mar 29 2009, 02:33 PM Post #3 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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Well it certainly looks like they might be fostering a new queen. I think I might have taken a large chunk of the nursery when I ripped this section of hay from their nest as there are eggs and larvae everywhere. They're also ignoring the piece of apple I so graciously bestowed upon them, preoccupied with something else. I can't quite see what though. |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| Viergacht | Mar 29 2009, 03:15 PM Post #4 |
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faceless fiend
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Got a photo of them? Maybe we can identify the species so you'll know the diet. |
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| Ànraich | Mar 29 2009, 03:28 PM Post #5 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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Well sorry to say that this experiment is over. I just cannot secure their container properly. They continue to find a way out, no matter what I cover the opening with. First it was netting, then it was filter material, then it was cloth...They still kept getting out. Perhaps I'll just order one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F6F8CY?ie=UTF8&tag=leapingfromthebox-20&camp=211189&creative=373489&link_code=as3 |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| Giant Blue Anteater | Apr 2 2009, 02:09 PM Post #6 |
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Prime Specimen
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Ants will eat just about anything they can drag into their nests. I like killing other creatures (particularly an earthworm) and placing them near a marching trail of ants, and when the ants detect the corpse, they'll be tearing at it like vultures. I would also kill a wood louse and watch the ants tear the dorsal meat out of the terrestrial isopod. Of course, I would throw in any carcass in the ant feeding ground I created. Of course, these are just the carnivorous habits of these animals. Ants are omnivores, and as I said, will eat just about anything. I was going to suggest giving them apple chunks and other 'crunchy' fruits, but your ants didn't seem to care for it. I wonder what's up too. But I would also suggest feeding them meaty stuff like an earthworm, since ants simply tear at them, as I mentioned in this paragraph.
Ants would likely get their water from what they eat, as Paralith said, but the damp cotton ball idea is tryable. After all, hermit crabs hydrate themselves by sucking water out of a sponge in the domestic environment. I actually don't have much experience keeping ants, but I observe them quite a bit. Yes, even though I am an anteater, I think ants taste awfully bitter, although some taste like sour candy, but maybe too sour for my tongue. Maybe it could be the formic acid...
Those look interesting. Edited by Giant Blue Anteater, Apr 2 2009, 02:29 PM.
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Ichthyostega![]()
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| ashwinder | Apr 2 2009, 02:13 PM Post #7 |
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Adolescent
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Feed them woodlice? I love woodlice
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| colddigger | Apr 3 2009, 12:56 PM Post #8 |
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Joke's over! Love, Parasky
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don't order ants, they only send workers, and usually old workers.... your best bet is to capture a fresh queen -one that just lost its wings- and work from there. Supply her with good digging soil and something to hide under, like a piece of bark or something, to raise her first brood, to my understanding you should give her very little to nothing to eat until her first worker ants appear. to water her just give her a droplet of fresh water, but normally colonies get all the moisture they need from their food. |
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Oh Fine. Oh hi you! Why don't you go check out the finery that is SGP?? v Don't click v Spoiler: click to toggle | |
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