File :-(, x, )
ANTS Anonymous
Alright fellow /an/t guys. My queen,
<shown here in this horrible fuzzy photo,
now has 6 children, soon to be 9. I'm currently thinking of moving the colony to their eventual home. (Pic to follow) The current amount of water left in the tube is decreasing as is the available space.

A number of the workers don't really do anything atm and I feel that activity in the colony would pick up if they graduated to a larger enclosure. But I know others have attempted to make this move but the ants didn't want to cooperate.

Do you guys think its time to upgrade my little civilization?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Soon to be colony habitat. carved out the chambers in a hunk concrete.

coincedentally I just got to the space phase in spore
>> Anonymous
>>311416
this is awesome and you should feel awesome
>> Anonymous
doooo iiiitttt
>> Anonymous
shameless bump
>> Anonymous
>>311418
you should really put that on like top of a oven or something so as soon as the ants make a big ass nest you should heat that concrete up and watch them burn.
>> Anonymous
>>311506
>you should really put that on like top of a oven or something
>oven or something
>oven
stove
>> Anonymous
nice!!!!
>> Anonymous
op here, alright then I'll start to get them moved tomorrow when I wake up. I got a big tuba-ware for them to forage in. But I probably need some sort of substrate. I think sand it the common ground but I dont think its a necessity. Any advice on this? where is tina when I need her?

The one thing I'm still lacking is another tub to put the concrete block in to maintain moisture. But a quick run to the store will fix that tomorrow.

Be back with updates.
>> Anonymous
That nest is way to big for only 9 nantics.
>> Anonymous
>>311948
yea i would have to agree to some degree.
The other side says that my tube is getting alittle cramped as is. I could hold a few more. Especially since its only 6+queen atm. 3 more workers sometime this week. But most of the workers just sit around all day.
>> Anonymous
Yep, that nest is way to big for them.

I'll be you, I'd wait for the end of the winter pause to move them anywhere. Usually it's better to let them in the tube as long as you can, and anyway that's way too big for a first nest.

That said, I'm happy because 3 on my 5 queens now have 6 to 10 workers.
>> Anonymous
>>312048
then i probly need to see about transferring them to another tube. The current tube is almost out of water. I probly have 2 weeks till it runs out. but its getting low.

is that you TTT?
>> Anonymous
kk, I feel like a noob asking this but since ants have been brought up, wats a good source of info on husbandry and such?
>> Anonymous
>>312322
like mating the ants? and developing some sort of use for them?

nill. get a queen and eventually it should produce young queens and males which will inbreed and make new fertilized queens. but thats prbly toooooo many ants.
>> Anonymous
>>312740
and how would I go about catching a queen?
>> Anonymous
>>312770
they are almost everywhere during the summer. and I'm not sure at what point they stop putting out queens. I know it differs from specie to specie though. just check cracks and look along the side walk. sit outside for awhile. i found 2 when I was outside painting my house. they just strolled past me.

but it might be too late. in which case you'll have to wait till next summer. but i think there are still some upcoming swarms
>> Anonymous
how does one get obtain a queen ant i'd like to restart my ant farm
>> Anonymous
the area i live in i never seem to find any, i live in southern california, dont know if that matters
>> Anonymous
I'm having Sim Ant flashbacks
>> Anonymous
>>313756
see above
>>313757
the only thing that would change is that the seasons are different and thus the species would swarm at different times.
here's a couple links that might help you guys out.
http://www.antsectopia.net/
http://www.antnest.co.uk/
http://www.antcolonies.net/

update: this morning my 7th ant emerged from its pupae state. I'm not sure if there is another term for that. I want to use hatch but I know that's incorrect. I'm expecting #8 later today.
>> Anonymous
op here, I now have 8 ants running around in their tube. I only have one pupae remaining, and as to this point, I dont see any new eggs. I think its probably time to open up the tube and let them explore.

I do have a small container that would be perfect, I just need to patch some holes. I'll see if my crappy camera can get any pictures later.
>> Anonymous
Hey OP, how long have you had the ants for?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>314794
lets see. Alittle over 2 months actually.

2 pics of my current colony. 8 ants 1 queen.