15:30 pm
17/12/07
Today my new colony arrived after a very long journey . I was extremly scared that the colony had not survived because just as they were sent, england had some very cold weather . ( Sods law )
The colony contains about 45 workers of diffrent sizes and a assorment of eggs and larva of diffrent stages . No pupae yet .
The queen is one handsome specimen and she seems to shine the most lovely green and brown.
I have made them a tree nest and its designe idea i got from the book (journey to the ants ) Where they keep there weaver ants in test tubes mounted on science stands .
I wanted a more natural look but with the test tubes , so i bought some test tubes from antstore and went shopping to my local pet shop for a stand.
I found several dry branches and bits of dry bark but nothing i could use .But then i spotted some realisting looking branches that have wire inside so there bendible . I bought several diffrent sizes so i could make a tree with brances i could bend to my liking . I thn found some reptile water bowls that looked like rock so bought a large and small size one .As a resuilt my tree had a base and now a island so no escape could happen .
Well now i had sorted out there nesting site , where would they be fed !. I then remembered that i had a ant island that i had ordered from antstore . I also had two bags of moss and a few bits and pieces incluiding some of the fake branches from the tree i had put together earlyer . This came together to make a food area with a natural looking bridge between the two .
The resuilt after i had put all these together are in the pictures below . Incluiding photos of the ants after they had been added .
21:25
I have some good news. While i was looking into the test tube i noticed a few small workers tending the queens adomen and while i watched several eggs were produced and carried away, cleaned and added to the pile already being tended .
Tues 18/12/07
11:55 am
Not alot has happened since yestarday. The queen has laid more eggs during the night as the egg pile has grown. The workers are still in test tube and have not came out and explored. I have put in a freshly killed cricket and placed a drop of sugar water at the test tube entrance . Both of these were not touched. Colony is very active thou and queen is laying eggs and all workers tend larva and eggs alot so all looks well
Please can u use this link for any questions or advice you may have .
http://www.antstore.net/viewtopic.php?t=6904
Thankyou for reading
Adam
