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Thanks a lot, was expecting a DSLR with macro lens so glad to know you can get such good shots without needing to be a pro with all the expensive gear.
The brood is growing rapidly now and no sign of new eggs yet. The colony is less active taking in food still since their food supply easily lasted during hibernation. The colony is looking nice and healthy with just one noticeable death after hibernation. I can't wait until the upcoming weeks to see my first pupa and and fresh egg batches. As always I added videos and photos.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/fff022.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/fff021.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/fff020.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/fff013.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/fff008.jpg
vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1gbJDe1mjE
beautifull pictures =D>
The queen started laying eggs at a much later time and has less than a dozen now. The larvae are growing at slower rate due to lack of heating but are on average larger and have higher chance in producing majors.( look at my other post for more info) I found my first pupa a few days back. unfortunately I have little to share until the brood are born.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/plppp019.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/plppp020.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/plppp021.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/plppp017.jpg
The brood are steadily growing with a large number of them pupae now. The colony is healthy and no fatalities for some time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdqDJUeQO5I
A good number of the brood are born now. The mites I was talking about last year are back but don't seem to be an issue. I assume they are grain mites and don't hang on the brood or ants. This species keeps themselves very clean and the dump chamber mostly empty probably reducing the mite population.
birth.
http://www.youtube.com/user/alexuks?feature=mhum#p/a/u/1/X1yIVxypofs
part 2.
http://www.youtube.com/user/alexuks?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/5m8Bev0j7dA
She seems to lay eggs in small batches.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/003-2.jpg
new workers.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/002-4.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/002-3.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/001-2.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/002-2.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/004-2.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/005-1.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/001-4.jpg
nice photos this ants are beautiful!
The colony has grown to over 200 workers but I feel that the queen laid to few eggs for the hibernation batch. The most odd behavior I witness with both of the Camponotus colonies is when a worker often missing limbs constantly trying leave the foraging area until they die. The worker is often harassed while near death and can't walk anymore. I assume that the worker tries laying eggs or was the loser in a dominance conflict and then is exiled. In more than one action I seen a worker dragging another by the back of the thorax. These behaviors are more common and intense in the C americanus colony. Anyone else seen this before or have any insight?
Video update.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-zYT_J9Rw8
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/pppl079.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/pppl077.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/pppl076.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/pppl074.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/pppl072.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/pppl071.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/akaant/pppl069.jpg
I now have a severe case of ANT ENVY! I wish I had a colony like yours. I have six tiny colonies of C. vicinus. They have one to three workers. The seventh queen has no eggs anymore and didn't open the cocoons of the imported brood, so she is all alone. I think I will do as you do, simply feed them honey water and termites. By the way, if you mix the honey with red food coloring, you will be able to see it in their gasters! They will have red fecal pellets, too! I have a termite colony in which I used food coloring on the wood, red, yellow, blue....so I have "rainbow termites!"
Note: I live in Southern California. Do you ever go on another ant farm site?