Jimi's new Atta colony Yay

[jimimardlin]

Hi guys I finally got another colony from Marco (antkeepingshop) as always an amazing guy with amazing colony's

im going to have a very restless night to night I can tell because that was the time my last queen felt like going swimming

and don't worry I will change the sticks out to thick twigs when I walk my dog in a few minutes, brood and fungus from the old "colony" have been stolen and put with this new colony

[Deansie26]

Didn't take long to get another Jim! Good luck with this one, hope it goes smoother than the previous.

[jimimardlin]

yes, I got them with a discount coz he felt sorry for me , hopefully she cant get out coz she's very bad at climbing

[jimimardlin]

20/8/16

One day on and all is great! they have dumped a huge amount of there fungus away which is normal but still a little worrying to see #noob no leafs have been cut yet
so I added some orange peel coz I heard they like that, ive also moved a few leafs in the nest area, I hope they like it

[Deansie26]

Jim is the first picture when they arrived and the last one of them today?

[jimimardlin]

yes the last post was yesterday and todays post is todays

[Deansie26]

I'd get some privet in there, rarely not taken where as bramble I find is hit and miss.

[jimimardlin]

its not bramble its strawberry leafs, and tomorrow ill try all sorts of leafs including privit and bramble

[Acromyrmexbob]

I would put some damp peat / soil in beside the nest. That way you know the humidity is good right at the fungus. Without that I would worry that the fungus could desiccate very quickly. Also dont put orange peel in beside the fungus. I have noticed sometimes that this can affect the fungus. Orange peel is not the best starter forage to offer because it is not high in moisture. As Jamie said, offer privet. Or my all time favourite Atta food, Rosebay Willow Herb. It rocks!

[jimimardlin]

21/08/2016

A little more rubbish fungus but that has all been cleared but the amount is lessoning each morning, they have started to use the dirt by making little dirt balls hopefully they will start to make walls. they have still not cut any leafs yet so I have put a buffet of 6 different types of leafs (I don't know what privet looks like) I have also sprinkled tiny pieces of leaf on the fungus, that is supposed to make then start cutting for them selfs.

I have a question about the fungus what does each stage mean, the gray areas, the white areas and the yellow areas? is my fungus now a good colour for the amount of time ive had them (no gray buts and a few white bits) the white areas are from the old colony.

I also got rid of the orange peel and I wet the dirt every day just in case