Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
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- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:55 pm
- Location: Northeast Louisiana
Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
Moving this journal here from another forum.
The below string of posts started 4-1-17
Hi all, this will officially be my first ant keeping experience so, by all means, please feel free to critique if you read that I am doing something foolish/incorrectly.
About a week ago, I was picking up limbs in the yard after a heavy storm we had in the area (Northeastern Louisiana), when I noticed the largest black carpenter ant I had ever seen. I quickly went into the house and got a jar to put her in. Came back to 2 more, and these had wings!
I caught all three and brought them into the house to show my son who loves ants (7year old autistic son who apparently only loves the *idea* of ants). I then began googling, as I am prone to do, and quickly came upon this forum and the AntsCanada YouTube channel. After doing some picture searching and diligent reading, I now have all three in test tube setups, and have decided to chronicle my adventure along with the experts.
From what I have read, I have deduced that the queens I have are most likely campomotus pennsylvanicus, although it seems somewhat early for them to be flying. I have since decided that this was most likely due to the aforementioned storm.
I caught three queens that day: one wingless (queen 1 from this point forward), one that had only one wing (queen 2), and the third had both wings in tact (queen 3). Queen 2 & 3 both shed their wings almost immediately upon putting them in test tubes.
Queen 1 now has four eggs. Queen 2 has 3 eggs. And, queen 3 seemed rather restless and would not lay. So, this morning I made a small (4"×4"×1") formicarium out of red oak with my 1/2" router bit and covered it with lexan. I connected her tube to it and she immediately began exploring it. Now, approximately 8 hours later, she has finally laid her fist egg and moved it to the test tube, probably because of the humidity created by putting their test tubes on a warm heating pad.
I am super excited that they have, now, all began laying eggs. My wife is rather annoyed, due to my ever growing list of hobbies (sever A.D.D. is no laughing matter). I however am rather pleased that this is finally something that seems to keep my attention and I didn't have to purchase any materials for. I had test tubes, heating mats, and lumber/tools from other hobbies I have been known to dabble in.
The below string of posts started 4-1-17
Hi all, this will officially be my first ant keeping experience so, by all means, please feel free to critique if you read that I am doing something foolish/incorrectly.
About a week ago, I was picking up limbs in the yard after a heavy storm we had in the area (Northeastern Louisiana), when I noticed the largest black carpenter ant I had ever seen. I quickly went into the house and got a jar to put her in. Came back to 2 more, and these had wings!
I caught all three and brought them into the house to show my son who loves ants (7year old autistic son who apparently only loves the *idea* of ants). I then began googling, as I am prone to do, and quickly came upon this forum and the AntsCanada YouTube channel. After doing some picture searching and diligent reading, I now have all three in test tube setups, and have decided to chronicle my adventure along with the experts.
From what I have read, I have deduced that the queens I have are most likely campomotus pennsylvanicus, although it seems somewhat early for them to be flying. I have since decided that this was most likely due to the aforementioned storm.
I caught three queens that day: one wingless (queen 1 from this point forward), one that had only one wing (queen 2), and the third had both wings in tact (queen 3). Queen 2 & 3 both shed their wings almost immediately upon putting them in test tubes.
Queen 1 now has four eggs. Queen 2 has 3 eggs. And, queen 3 seemed rather restless and would not lay. So, this morning I made a small (4"×4"×1") formicarium out of red oak with my 1/2" router bit and covered it with lexan. I connected her tube to it and she immediately began exploring it. Now, approximately 8 hours later, she has finally laid her fist egg and moved it to the test tube, probably because of the humidity created by putting their test tubes on a warm heating pad.
I am super excited that they have, now, all began laying eggs. My wife is rather annoyed, due to my ever growing list of hobbies (sever A.D.D. is no laughing matter). I however am rather pleased that this is finally something that seems to keep my attention and I didn't have to purchase any materials for. I had test tubes, heating mats, and lumber/tools from other hobbies I have been known to dabble in.
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- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:55 pm
- Location: Northeast Louisiana
Re: Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
The following was posted 4-2-17.
As promised, a picture update!!!
This is the makeshift formicarium I made for queen 3.

This is queen 1, who I might mention is up to 7 eggs.

This is queen 2. She is currently at 6 eggs.

And last, but not least, queen 3. She has laid 3 eggs since yesterday morning.

I have been very surprised at how well these ladies are taking to captivity. Even with minimal care, they seem to be doing just fine.
As promised, a picture update!!!
This is the makeshift formicarium I made for queen 3.

This is queen 1, who I might mention is up to 7 eggs.

This is queen 2. She is currently at 6 eggs.

And last, but not least, queen 3. She has laid 3 eggs since yesterday morning.

I have been very surprised at how well these ladies are taking to captivity. Even with minimal care, they seem to be doing just fine.
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- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:55 pm
- Location: Northeast Louisiana
Re: Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
And just as a current update, I am currently away from home on business in Pennsylvania, so I have not been able to check on the ladies lately. However, my wife tells me they are doing well and all 3 have a pile of eggs of at least 9 each. They are kind of hard to count at this stage 

Re: Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
Congrats on the catches! I am currently keeping a colony of Camponotus pennsylvanicus and a colony of Camponotus chromaiodes that the queen was injured during landscaping and I'm waiting to see if she survives. One thing to note about this species is they are very slow growing due to their size so have patience with them. This is one of my favorite species and is definitely worth the wait!
Re: Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
I like your setup! Hopefully you'll be able to bring your son around to keeping ants. I've actually made a wood nest myself and am looking for a way to attach plexiglass to the top.
Keeper of
Tetramorium sp.
Crematogaster sp.
Tetramorium sp.
Crematogaster sp.
Re: Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
Could you not predrill a hole through the plexi on each corner and then put a screw through it into the wood?
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- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:55 pm
- Location: Northeast Louisiana
Re: Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
As long as the wood is planed flat u should be able to predrill and screw it in as I did. Otherwise, I am not sure you'll ever get it to seal and be able to keep it humid due to the swelling and warping nature of the wood.
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- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:55 pm
- Location: Northeast Louisiana
Re: Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
By the way, do you guys agree that this is camponotus pennsylvanicus? I'll have to take some better pictures when I return home (hopefully in about a week) and maybe take some measurements. That was just the most likely species that l could find and have been assuming that is the case. These ladies are very large, I don't know their exact size, but they would just barely be able to fit on a quarter (american) from end to end.
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- Posts: 183
- Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
- Location: Western Tennessee
Re: Journaling my first queens (camponotus pennsylvanicus)
Wow, they are pretty! I really hope I get lucky enough to find just 1 Camponotus pennsylvanicus queen...as long as she's fertile that is
. I wish u best of luck with them all. Here in West TN we just had a great rain today with temps in the high 70s and low 80s next 3-4 days I know of so I am definitely gonna be looking. Very nice find and welcome to the Ant Community!!!

Keeper of:
Aphaenogaster sp
Tapinoma sessile
Camponotus subbarbatus x3
Aphaenogaster sp
Tapinoma sessile
Camponotus subbarbatus x3
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