ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Viperskin]

Hello!
I am absolutely new here and just got my first ants - Camponotus herculeanus(?) 6 queens(?)..
Now working at enclosures.. Is it OK?:
20X20X12 cm boxes, 8 cm soil/sand mix, 18X6 cm flat wood pieces from the
place where the queens were found with small holes under.. Moisture is high, sould I keep it so??
..Little water with cotton tampons.
What they need as food??
Have I missed something?
thanx

[JayB1983]

Hi Viperskin!

Congratulations you found 6! Queens!

Camponotus herculeanus likes it dry, but give access to water, like you already explained. They don't need food at the beginning, but you can try and serve them some fruit flies or little insects. As my queen arrived she took some honeywater, too. Just mix some honey with a bit of water and serve it on a small plate.
The best thing would be, if you get some test tubes and prepare them for the Ants. A little bit water into the tube, perhabs 3-4cm, then a piece of cotton down to the water, very close to the surface, so that the cotton gets a little bit wet. Don't push it into the water.
Put the tubes into the boxes make them dark and the queens will move into there.

Good Luck...

[Viperskin]

- Thanx,
..do you mean that I should not add some water regularly to the substrate,
just give them some wate in test tubes?.. Is it good for eggs and larva??

[JayB1983]

For the first weeks, till they have workers, its better to keep them in test tubes. So you can watch them grow. If the tube is dark they like them. Do you want to keep all ants? If you let them dig in the substrate, you won't get them out there so easily. But if you want to keep them in the substrate forever, you can do.

[Viperskin]

- I think its rather high humidity inside.. Is it a big problem??
Temperature is about 22 C..
So, first workers appear not earlier than 1 month??

[badman]

tampons? lol, good idea

[miszt]

I hate to tell you, but Camponotus herc are one of the slowest developing species, development time can be upto a year or more from egg to worker, its possible for workers to develop over summer, if the brood is looked after perfectly, but they are very slow to develop even so

[Viperskin]

- so, got few eggs from one queen, she made a nest on the wet soil/sand under a large piece of wood.

I ve put all other in test tubes, they are on the wet soil in large boxes, its dark inside because there is little soil on them, closed with cotton.
Will they go out and leave eggs if I open tubes when they got eggs??
thanx

[ashhad1]

if im correct the queen would always protect her own eggs and if she moved nests she would take these eggs with her

[JimmyVe]

Yes you are correct. If nothing weird happens the queen will take there eggs and protect them.

[Viperskin]

- thanx! Now those queens which are in the closed test tubes have few eggs too.. But whem I must open them??
Because I must go to an expedition
and must leave them all for one month (my girlfriend will keep humidity)
so I think to open tubes so they can go out to the soil and get some honeywater.. Sounds that good?? and temperature is about 25 C..

[JayB1983]

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If you do it like this, you can keep them closed. Camponotus herculeanus queens can survive a very long time, if they have access to water. And it will take them 6-8 weeks to get their first workers. So it's up to you, if you keep it close or not...

Good luck on your expidition

[Kale^^]

JayB, Camponotus herculeanus queens will NOT get their first workers in 6-8 weeks, more like 6-8 months (probably next spring they will have new workers), not this summer, only if kept in perfect conditions, like mistz said.

[Viperskin]

- .. So, are they hibernating with eggs/larvas in the wild/captivity?
And a last question finally: what a perfect temperature for them now?? (to
incubate the eggs)

[KiamCameron]

Campontous herculeanus queens can have workers in 6-8 weeks some takes years and some takes only a few months and yes that is right as some queens are different in this species...