ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Kiam]

wow thats awesome I wish I can make them like that:P

[darradar]

Yippe they love thier new nest, and they waited for me to get home from work so I could take these snaps...

It would appear the long tunnels dont seem to have any bearing on them...

[JimmyVe]

Very nice Darradar, i must say, they look very happy in there.
Good job.

[darradar]

Hello guys,
I have not posted for a while, (though I do check the forums everday),
I wanted to just show some up dated photo's of the queen with some cocoons, and also to check that everything is well with my colony, as I have lost (in death) a total of 3 ants, but the others and the queen are all or seem to be in good health, as the cocoons and eggs show, the deaths didnt happen all at once, but spread over the weeks.
I had to use a microscope in front of the camera, making it easier to see them.!

You might notice they have packed the gaps around the chambers next to the glass with sand..!! clever are they not....

I am sure you are aware, if you click on the actuall photo's they come up larger in another window, giving you a better view....

Oh and how long from cocoon to ant?

[Kale^^]

Looks good indeed. =)

[JimmyVe]

nice. from cocoon till worker. depends, but most of the time about 2 weeks.

[darradar]

well it seems I didnt realise how long I had cocoons, as this very minute I checked and to my suprise I find a freshly hatched ant
I cant see it properly, but it does however seem to be a little larger than the others, it's not properly formed yet, I can see its antenna and legs are still crumpled up, I guess like any other insect imerging from cocoon, it takes time to pump the blood around and dilate limbs etc.
I am thrilled to bits though...
Also manged to count at least 5 other cocoons, I am sure yesturday that one was quite dark in color, is that an indication to the ant emerging?

I am soooooooooo happy....

[JimmyVe]

congratulations Darradar.

It could be that it is a second generation worker. The first generation is always a bit smaller. Or maybe it is a small major but i don't think so because your colony is not big enough for that. But everything is possible.

[Kiam]

Congratulatiosn darradar

Keep up the good old work

[darradar]

hmm this newly hatched ant I'm so happy about, I just wanted to check with yuo guys that it is ok, it still has not got fully formed legs or antenna, more like stumps, is this normal? it seems to be stumbling around in there, trying to walk, mostly it gets moved by the others, perhaps this is normal, (this being my first colony) but I am just wanting to be sure.
And on closer inspection, it is the same size as the others, and I can plainly see, that a second is coloring up now, and the ant is shaped ready to proceed maybe tomorow it will be moving about.

[JimmyVe]

Normally they have legs and antenna of a full grown ants only a lighter color (like you said) i'm not sure this is normal, never saw it on any of my ants.

[darradar]

ok thank you Jimmy, I have this minute had a closer look, and the said ant, does have full legs, but only half of which are black colord and in use, the other half tucked up and kind of yellow colord, its antenna are for sure curled up and not fully striaghtend.
Does a newly hatched ant usually become ready and able to walk about?
What I do know is, the others are looking after it, I have seen them feeding it and as I said before moving it about, I mentioned also about a second ant, well today it is more black, and I guess I will have something to compare this "deformed" ant with, when it is a few days older.

[darradar]

I mentioned also about a second ant, well today it is more black, and I guess I will have something to compare this "deformed" ant with, when it is a few days older.

Ok so this morning I can claerly see that over night this ant has fully matured, hurray! so in enssence I now have my first ant.!
It's plain to see that the first ant for sure has not formed properly, but like I said the others are tending to it.
It is rather sad seeing it stumbling about, I wonder how it's life will pan out? If I was able, I think it might be best to have taken it out and kindly ended it's short life, it is however un reachable. Do you think that they themselves might one day kill it?
I guess its life will be spent in the queens chamber, as it hasnt got the legs to move any where.
Poor little ant, has anyone else ever had this happen?

[JimmyVe]

I'm guessing it wont live long.
I never had a 'bad' born ant but i had ants that had a bad trip (when they where send to me) and they all die really fast. Maybe for the best.

[darradar]

hello guys, well here are even more cocoons, so many that they decided to move them to a differnt chamber, with a huge batch of eggs all at differnt stages with the queen, and I have now my second "hatched" ant, I have found that since these other 2 ants have arrived, that the other cocoons seem to be growing at a faster rate, perhaps it is because there are more ants to feed them?
My deformed ant is still thriving, and they still tend to it and feed it, it still lives in the queens chamber, maybe it will not be so fortunate as the colony grow, and it becomes less important, or they might well indeed keep feeding it and allow it to live, only time will tell You can not see it properly, but it is the one right at the front of the top chamber against the glass, it has no legs,antenna, well it does it's just they are small/curled/deformed

It's amazing how my colony has grown, not so much with actuall ants, but the production of eggs/cocoons. When they arrived there was but 8 ants and about 4 eggs, now there are sooooooo many, I am happy that I seem to be caring and providing for them in such a way that they are thriving well.