hi there.....ants are in hibernation in my loft..! checked on em other day to top up water, not nuch happenin tho they was all asleep..!
Mine have been in hibernation for over a month now, how long should they be kept in it?
Not to long. They are originated from north-africa. One month is more then enough.
:| you must be kidding me, #-o mine hybernate for 5 months, they went in end of october and i shall begin waking them beggining of march..... :D
ok guys, it seems there a few of you keeping cruentatus now, tho mine seems to be largest colony, ive checked on them and they are pretty awake, so im just thawing out some moths to offer them.
sorry about the camera focus but its dark up the loft and cant getta clear shot.. :cry:
not much happening above ground...
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h208/darradar/hibernatingants001.jpg
lets have a closer look....
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h208/darradar/hibernatingants006.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h208/darradar/hibernatingants009.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h208/darradar/hibernatingants008.jpg
in the first youtube clip...you can just about make out the queen.....im thrilled to see she's healthy....each year im keen to see if she made it through hibernation....also at about 19 secs seconds just with the queen check out that awseome major..! its HUGE.....nice big head.....i didnt notice it till i looked at the video, sure i got many majors but this ones a monster...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLMncsXTpEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKN2crB94pg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItEKWuTIPDo
again sorry bout the poor focusing.....
very nice how do you keep them warm when out of hibernation
i have a small 5"x4" heat pad which i place benaeth the last two chambers on the right, this isually is the queens chamber.. :wink:
oh and Jimmy, (Hello im still alive :grin: ) if you see this, i was thinking i might have to try and enlarge the nest area this year, but as you can see there are 6 chambers still to be used, do you think at the currant growth rate, theyl be ok in here another year.? i am ofcorse going to add another foroging room, but its the nest part im think about, i think theyl be ok here for the rest of this year, would just like your oponion and anyone elses with large colonies... :wink:
cool
i use a heat pad, queit big
you only need a small heat pad, especially as you have such a small colony :) use it so only part of the nest is heated, they need to be able to "cool down" :wink:
yeah the test tube is half on half off