akell: Where have all the larvae gone? (5. Feb 2009 20:32)

Well, as some of you know I got a 1000+ Polyrhachis dives colony, which, don't get me wrong now, is really, really cool, but larvae? Where the heck are they?
Any of you Polyrhachis dives divas know if this is going to turn into a clusterfudge, or will copious amounts of protein help this problem to solve itself?

Many thanks,
A Kell

SteveUK28: Re: Where have all the larvae gone? (5. Feb 2009 22:23)

Well if i was you id certainly make sure they have lots of protein.. give them as many bugs as you possibly can.. along with fresh water.. and sugar water/honey.. If it was me id even mix up some egg solution with honey and sugar. Hope it all works out for you :)

akell: Re: Where have all the larvae gone? (6. Feb 2009 05:58)

Egg, that's a good one. Thanks Steve

donbilbo: Re: Where have all the larvae gone? (6. Feb 2009 12:07)

Dont get me wrong but polyrhachis dives is such a fast growing easy ant species. I am really bothered by reading various posts in the english boards.. users reporting their polyrhachis dives are mass-dying, dont have brood, nest in plastic bags, being kept on islands and stuff like that. Sometimes i guess its not all arrogant to suggest lasius niger or messor barbarus instead of acromyrmex spec. or polyrhachis dives.
Well have fun with your 1000+ colony, have fun if they start brooding again, you will have several thousand aggressive ants and some hundret alates by the end of the year. Maybe you will remember my words when you try to clean your 50x50 basin with 100 ants crawling up your hand 10 seconds after you put it in. Alates flying off in your rooms as soon as you lift your lid. Dont take help from guys that did not manage to keep those ants for a month without them dying, i got those ants, i love them, but they are very hard to maintain at huge colony size! Enjoy ;)

highered: Re: Where have all the larvae gone? (6. Feb 2009 12:23)

I guess the plastic bag reference is to me. Well, I have my main nest in the big tube they came in next the heat map in their big basin, they just also choose to make a second smaller nest in the black bin bag which just happens to be in there.

akell: Re: Where have all the larvae gone? (6. Feb 2009 23:59)

Hello Steve and highered,
Good news, the larvae are there and all is well, long may it last. Was over at the store again today. Martin was telling me he had at one time a big divas colony all housed in test tubes clamped to a rod and has seen a couple of very nice colonies kept in plain old bottles. They are opportunistic ants, that's for sure. Improvise, persevere, overcome. I've heard that one more times than I care to remember but if what the Antstore folks say about the dives is halfway accurate, that little gem seems to describe these ladies.
I have a half environmental, half observational thing going on now. Hey, thanks again for the egg tip. I mixed an egg in with a bit of wet dog food and they seemed to enjoy it.
akell

donbilbo: Re: Where have all the larvae gone? (7. Feb 2009 00:09)

I would be very interested in your huge colonies, also. I opened a thread for pictures, feel free to post your setup in there. :sign_welcome:
As you might have noticed, i really dont approve on some of the stuff i have read in here. Proove me wrong. ;)

akell: Re: Where have all the larvae gone? (7. Feb 2009 01:05)

Hi again there highered,
I call the hotline on the store homepage. If you don't speak German it's not a problem. Martin S. and his team there know everything, and I mean everything, about keeping ants. Food, basins, nests types, space needed, climate, hibernation cycles et cetera, et cetera. Absolutely everything, and they're really nice people too! Professional, courtious, polite, patient and encyclopeadic knowledge to boot! You probably already know this, but I am still overwhelmed with both the theoretical and practical knowledge they have there.The place is just unique. It's like Ant NASA. You just draw what you want, and they make it work for you, and whatever species you choose to keep.
Ant NASA, man.
Off topic, did you ever notice the advertisments for at the bottom of the page? I mean, here we are doing our darndest to keep ants alive and well and down there you got websites for exterminators. Ain't that just like real life?

SteveUK28: Re: Where have all the larvae gone? (7. Feb 2009 11:38)

Hello Akell,
Nice to see you have found the larvae :) Great news. Has to be said mate id love to go visit martin and the gang.. have to get a day trip over there sorted at some point. Your gonna have to take some new pics of your setup and the ants.. be great to see them :)

Skippy: Re: Where have all the larvae gone? (7. Feb 2009 13:26)

You will think I a quite stupid (as always) but I can´t keep ants with some experiments and so. I have one small Polyrhachis colony , and I am trying to keep it in probably all types of nests I know :grin: ... for fun. Week ago I used a cork-glass farm to keep them
and I´ve made only one chamber with cork , other place I filled with white soil 1-2 mm size. They´ve made nest there and they love it more than cartoon nest , or nest in tropical terarium where they were before. Colony is in size ca 120-150 workers and 3 queens , 40+- cocoons and over 200 small larvae and eggs :)

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