Leaf Cutting Ant Forum

Oops.. I just had my first mass break out. I was cleaning the aquarium glass with one of those magnet based cleaners that has a bit on the outside and bit on the inside.

Normally not a problem but the phone rang just as I was cleaning at a spot that bridged the gap between the edge of the ant's platform and the aquarium.

Long phone call, make a cup of tea... watch a bit of Jeremy Kyle (actually it was Rip Off Britain but I thought JK sounded better).

Back in my office and I'll be honest I blanched, 300+ ants crawling all over the aquarium, inside, outside.

I've got most of them back in now, took me twenty minutes of frantic tweezer work. Not cool!!

anyways, in other news I've been assessing my colony and think I need to significantly increase my estimate of numbers. I think I must have, as a minimum, somewhere north of 5,000 ants.

At one point yesterday there were 12 soldier ants that were visible at one time (10 in the nests but visible through the glass, one near the nest entrance and one in the feeding area.)

Will be one of many Richard lol
Finding them in the bath when we had our first baby was the final straw for my wife lol

I have been lucky enough over the last 5 or 6 days to be able to witness a sizeable major go from the very last vestiges of pupae to ant. the pupae was on top of the fungus so I've been able to see it slowly change each day. Remarkable sight. It would make a fantastic time lapse subject... Over to you Andy

ooow yes i would love to have the chance to film that. Just done this instead.

Quick update - they've been taking wisteria quite happily for the last week or so.

They have also finished building the mud extension right across the walkway in the aquarium now. I'll post a picture shortly.

Overnight - massive escape. Came down to a thousand ants in my office.

Escape caused by a floating feeding ring in the tank coming free and then forming a bridge.

It was a hoover job.. I must have just put over 500 ants in my freezer. I managed to tweezer a good few hundred back into the nest.

Disaster..

Prison break number 2 lol, did your better half have anything to say on this latest escape? Bet you haven't found them all, one will be walking across the TV screen tonight during strictly! Ha ha

Ha... My wife was amazing... My three year old found the issue.. she said.. Daddy, the ants are dirty... I was like no Sophie.. those are the ants...

Then my wife switched into military mode.. I'm not gonna lie there was some shrieking... but she was straight in there with the hoover...

Update - I'm seeing a rather worrying behavioural change. In the last 2 or 3 days, in the afternoons mainly, I'm seeing reasonably significant numbers of ants in the aquarium losing their fear of water. They are just jumping in and trying to get to the side. I can currently see about 30 ants in the water or walking around inside the tank.

They are definitely not falling in like last time, they are just making a break for it.

Hmmmm....

Perhaps the consequence if a population increase?